Blast at Ctg Flat: Two burn victims die

SSC examinee Tanima Afrin Chowdhury Ifti and her grandmother Samuda Khatun, who had suffered burns in a fire at a flat in Chittagong city on Friday, died at a hospital early yesterday.

Ifti and her 70-year-old grandmother were undergoing treatment with 100 percent of their bodies burnt at the burn unit of Chittagong Medical College Hospital. They breathed their last between 12:00 midnight and 1:00am, said assistant professor S Khaled of the CMCH burn unit.

Ifti's brother Ariful Islam, 27, also suffered burns in the incident and was transferred to the burn unit of Dhaka Medical College Hospital on Friday in a critical state with 25 percent of his body burnt.

The fourth victim, Syed Mahmudul Haque who lived on the third floor of the building, suffered seven percent burns and received primary treatment.

At the time of the incident, Ifti's parents Nasima Akhter and Abdul Motaleb were out of town, visiting their village home at Amirabad in Chittagong's Lohagara. 

Soon after hearing the news, Nasima rushed to the CMCH. Sixteen-year-old Ifti, however, could not overcome the severe burn injuries and died.

A bright student, Ifti was hopeful that she would do well in the SSC exams, scheduled only a few days away, her cousin Bappi said. "Even with 100 percent burn injuries, she was asking her mother how she would take the examinations."

Around 5:15am on Friday, four people suffered burns as an explosion ripped through a six-storey building at Nirapod Housing Society in Bakalia Dewan Bazar area.

A portion of a wall on the second floor and most of the doors and windows of the building, where 36 families live, were damaged by the explosion and consequent fire. 

Probe committee formed

The Chittagong district administration yesterday formed an eight-member committee to investigate the incident.

The committee is comprised of representatives from various departments, law enforcement agencies and utility service providers.

Additional District Magistrate Mominur Rashid, head of the committee, said the panel would have to submit its report within seven working days.