Moghbazar Explosion: 7 dead, 50 hurt

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Dailynewsun Desk:

At least seven people were killed and 50 others were injured in an explosion in Dhaka’s Moghbazar on Sunday evening.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Shafiqul Islam said at least seven people were killed in the explosion. The commissioner further said they did not find any evidence to support it is an incident of sabotage and it is likely to have taken place due to a gas explosion.

“The explosion took place around 7:35pm at a building in Wireless Gate area. We are primarily suspecting that an air conditioner exploded,” Faisalur Rahman, station officer of Ramna Fire Station said.

Fourteen firefighting units were conducting rescue operations when the report was filed around 9:45pm.

At least 41 of the injured have been rushed to emergency unit of Dhaka Medical College Hospital while 11 others were admitted to Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery with burn injuries.

Eyewitness and fire service officials said they are suspecting that the explosion took place from the ground floor of a building that had an electronics showroom, a meat sales outlet, a restaurant and a sweetmeat shop.

The shops were completely damaged and were reduced to debris following the explosion which may have originated after gas accumulated in the electronics showroom or the meat sales outlet, said officials.

Sheikh Abdul Jalil, an eyewitness said a big bang took place on the ground floor. At least three buses outside on the road were damaged and glasses of several other nearby buildings were damaged after the explosion.

On information, a team of bomb disposal unit (BDU) was sent to the spot, reports The Daily Star.

“We are analyzing the nature of the explosion as the ground floor of the building was destroyed,” said Rahmatullah Chowdhury, in charge of BDU.

Md Imon, a local youth, who is part of the rescue operation, said that he and his friends brought out at least three people including a 12-year-old boy from the wreckage. “We suspect that some other people are trapped inside the debris,” he said.