The death toll from a fire due gas explosion at CNG filling station in Mymensingh rose to two as another person succumbed to his injuries at a hospital on Monday evening.
The deceased were – Himel Mia, 26, a private car driver and son of Jamal Uddin from Kichmot village within the Mymensingh city corporation, and Abdul Quddus, 85, a resident of the city corporation.
Quoting locals, Md Shafiqul Islam Khan, officer-in-charge of Kotwali Police Station, said the explosion, reportedly caused by a gas leak in a supply pipe, occurred when a private car was refuelling at Azhar Filling Station and Intraco CNG Gas Pump on the Rahmatpur bypass around 2.15PM.
Himel died on the spot and seven others sustained burn injuries as the fire spread to a nearby CNG-run auto-rickshaw and adjacent areas.
The injured were taken to the Mymensingh Medical College Hospital where Abdul Quddus died around 7PM while undergoing treatment, and six others were later transferred to Dhaka for better care.
Md Mozammel Hossain, deputy director of Mymensingh Fire Service and Civil Defence, said being informed seven firefighting units promptly reached to the spot and doused the blaze by nearly 3:25 PM.
He said the extent of the loss from the fire was not yet determined as of 8PM.
Meanwhile, following the incident, the Deputy Commissioner formed a three-member body to investigate the incident.
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