26 burnt in Ashulia gas lighter factory fire

- Victims suffer 20% to 70% burns

-20 admitted to DMCH

-7 now in DMCH ICU

At least 26 female workers suffered burn injuries, several of them “critically”, after a fire broke out at a gas lighter factory in Ashulia, on the outskirts of Dhaka, this evening.

“The fire broke out at Colour Match (Bangladesh) Ltd in Girabo area around 4:15pm” Abdul Hamid, senior station officer of DEPZ fire station, told The Daily Star.

Aklima, a worker of the factory, told The Daily Star that the fire originated from a gas cylinder of the factory when they were filing up gas lighters from it.

“Suddenly the cylinder blasted with a big bang causing a fire at the tin-shed factory,” she added.

On information, nine units of firefighters from different fire stations rushed to the spot and doused the blaze after two hours of their frantic efforts, our local correspondent reports quoting Hamid.

Twenty of the injured were admitted to the Burn Unit of Dhaka Medical College Hospital with 20 percent to 70 percent burns, Dr Partha Shankar Paul, a resident surgeon of the DMCH's burn unit.

“Most of them suffered inhalation injuries,” he said adding that seven of the victims were shifted to Intensive Care Unit in critical condition.

“The victims are aged between 15 and 20,” Bachchu Mia, sub-inspector of DMCH police outpost, told The Daily Star.

Five others were admitted to Enam Medical College Hospital (EMCH) in Savar while another in a local hospital. “They are now out of danger,” said Dr Suman Rahman, assistant professor (Surgery) of EMCH.