A couple and their seven-year-old daughter were injured in a fire followed by an explosion believed to be originated from a gas leak in old Dhaka early today.

The injured -- Md Kamal (35), his wife Selina Akter (30) and their daughter Bonya – were given treatment at Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic surgery. 

Fire engulfed the house after the explosion took place on the ground floor of a four-storey building in Alu Bazar area around 1:45am.

Five firefighting units rushed to the spot and doused the blaze around 3:30am, said Rafi Al Faruk, duty officer of Fire Service and Civil Defence Headquarters.

The wall of the flat collapsed following the explosion, he said, adding firefighters initially suspected that gas accumulated in the house from leakage contributed to the explosion.

Inhabitants of the building were immediately evacuated.