Staff Correspondent, Narayanganj

In Narayanganj's Siddhirganj, among the nine people who were burnt in a rented house explosion, a one-month-old infant has died. His name was Imam Uddin. He died at 7:50 am on Sunday at the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery, according to the institute's acting resident surgeon of the emergency department, Sultan Mahmud.

He told the media, "Thirty percent of baby Imam Uddin's body was burnt. Except for one person, the condition of the rest of the victims is critical."

The explosion occurred around 3:30 am on Friday (August 22) at a tin-shed house in Painaadi Purbo Para area. Two sisters, Asma and Salma, along with their husbands and children who lived in adjacent rooms, were burnt in the incident.

Eight of the injured were admitted to the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery in Dhaka. Since his injuries were relatively minor, Asma's husband Tanzil Islam was taken to a local hospital.

Those currently undergoing treatment at the burn institute are—Asma Begum (35), her daughter Tisha (17) and son Arafat (15); Asma's sister Salma Begum (32), her husband Hasan (40), daughters Munta ha (8) and Jannat (4). The deceased, Imam, was the son of Salma and Hasan.

According to resident surgeon Shawon Bin Rahman of the burn institute, Asma suffered 48% burns, Tisha 53%, Arafat 15%, Salma 48%, Hasan 44%, Munta ha 37%, and Jannat 40%.

Rakibul, younger brother of the injured Hasan, said that both his brother and brother-in-law worked as day laborers. They lived with their families in a semi-pucca house in Siddhirganj. Suddenly, the explosion occurred at night, leaving members of the two families burned. They were rushed to the hospital. Their original home is in Debidwar, Cumilla.

Local resident Md. Mamun said that Hasan's father-in-law, Abdur Rashid, used to live in this house as a caretaker. Rashid had died a few days ago. His three daughters, their husbands, and grandchildren were living in three rooms of the house. The families in two of those rooms have been burned.

Siddhirganj Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Shahinur Alam said that without investigation, it is not possible to say for certain how the explosion occurred.

Adamjee Fire Service Senior Station Officer Md. Miron Mia said, "When we examined the spot, we found that the compressor of the refrigerator had exploded. The fire originated from that blast, which left the family members burnt."