Mosque Tragedy: 8 survivors still in critical condition

Eight victims of the Narayanganj mosque fire were still fighting for life at the intensive care unit of Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery yesterday.

"The condition of the eight is critical. They all have inhalation burns ranging from 35 percent to 93 percent," Dr Partha Sankar Paul, resident surgeon at the burn institute, told reporters yesterday.

One of the eight injured was shifted to the ICU from the post-operative ward yesterday morning, the physician added.

The death toll from Friday's fire at Pashchim Talla Baitus Salam Mosque reached 28 yesterday after another victim died at the burn institute. The deceased is Abdul Hannan, 50.

The eight now undergoing treatment are Md Farid, 55, Sheikh Farid, 21, Md Kenan, 24, Nazrul Islam, 50, Sifat, 18, Abdul Aziz, 40, Amzad Hossain, 37, and Abdus Sattar, 40.

Meanwhile, Md Mamun, who suffered 12 percent burns to his body, became the first victim to have been discharged from the burn institute on Monday afternoon.

The 30-year-old man from Pashchim Talla area of Narayanganj was walking along a road beside the mosque on Friday night when the blast took place.

Doctors asked Mamun to come again after a week for a follow-up.

Speaking to reporters before leaving the burn institute, he said, "I am lucky that I am returning home, but many could not. It's God who has saved me."

Fire Brigade officials suspected that an explosion occurred due to leaks in a gas pipeline that runs beneath the mosque.

They found two leaks in an underground gas pipeline adjacent to the mosque. The Titas Gas company suspended eight of its officials and employees over negligence.

The leaking pipeline might have caused gas to accumulate inside the mosque, and a spark then probably led to the explosion, leaving at least 40 people burnt, Fire Brigade officials said.

It happened at the end of Esha prayers around 8:45pm on Friday. The ground floor of the three-story mosque was badly damaged.

All the victims had got trapped on that floor. Besides, six air conditioners there were found melted.