A Correspondent:
Chattogram: Another victim has collapsed following a gas explosion in the port city of Chattogram, rais-ing the death toll to three, officials said.
Md Samir Ahmed Suman, 40, died at about 11:55am on Tuesday while receiving treatment in the Inten-sive Care Unit (ICU) of the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery in Dhaka, hospital sources said.
Doctors said he had suffered burns to around 40% of his body.
Earlier in the morning, 16-year-old Md Shawon, who was also injured in the same incident, died while undergoing treatment at the institute’s Male High Dependency Unit (M-HDU).
Nine burn victims were brought to the Dhaka-based specialist hospital from Chattogram on Monday evening, according to Assistant Professor Dr Shaon Bin Rahman, a resident physician at the institute.
A third victim, Nurzahan Akter Rani, 40, was declared dead on arrival with 100% burns, doctors said.
Medical staff described the condition of the remaining patients as critical.
Shakhawat Hossain and Ashura Akter Pakhi sustained 100% burns, while Md Shipon suffered 80% burns.
Ayesha Akter received burns to 45% of her body, Umme Ayman Snigdha 38%, and Md Farhan Ahmed Anas 30%. All are undergoing treatment.
The explosion occurred at about 5:30am on Monday on the third floor of a six-storey residential build-ing, Halima Manzil, in the H Block area of Halishahar.
Officials said a suspected gas line leak may have caused the blast.
The injured were initially treated in Chattogram before being transferred in stages to Dhaka for special-ised care.
Authorities said an investigation into the cause of the explosion is ongoing and the condition of the in-jured remains under closes monitoring.
