Ambulance cylinder blast kills eight

Seven of a family among the dead

June 25, 2023 00:00:00

Wreckage of an ambulance lies on a road in Maligram area of Bhanga upazila, Faridpur, following the explosion of its gas cylinder while en route to Dhaka on Saturday. — Focus Bangla

At least eight people, including seven members of a family, were killed as an ambulance bursts into flames after hitting the roadside railings of Dhaka-Mawa-Bhanga Expressway in Maligram area under Bhanga upazila of Faridpur district on Saturday, report agencies.

The deceased were identified as Tashlima Begum, 55, wife of Azizar Rahman, her daughter Kamala Parveen, 26, Beauty Begum, 24, grandchildren Hasib, 8, Hafsam, 2, Arif,12, and Mehdi , 12, all residents of Felannagar village in Gunbaha Union of Boalmari Upazila in Faridpur district, and ambulance driver Mitul, 25, son of Subash Chandra Malo, resident of Taki Molya Road, Lakshmipur Mohalla under Faridpur City.

A fire broke out in the microbus as its gas cylinder went off around 11 am, leaving five people dead on the spot and three others injured, said Tayumul Islam, officer-in-charge of Bhanga Highway Police.

Two passengers succumbed to their injuries at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Medical College (BSMMC) Hospital, said Md Shahjahan, superintendent of the district police.

According to locals and police sources, Tashlima Begum, the wife of Azizar Rahman, a Saudi expatriate of the upazila, came to Dhaka a month ago and was at the residence of her elder daughter Kamala Parveen after treatment.

They left Dhaka for home this morning and the ambulance caught fire after hitting the roadside railings in the area around 11 am.

Seven people were killed on the spot and the driver of the Ambulance was injured, Boalmari Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Mosharef Hossain said.

Ambulance driver was admitted to Faridpur Medical College Hospital at 12.10 pm. When his

condition worsened, he died on the way from Faridpur to the burn unit of the Dhaka Medical College Hospital at around 3 pm, officer-in-charge (OC) of Faridpur Katwali Police Station Abdul Jalil said.

Police and fire service personnel recovered the bodies from the spot.

Faridpur Deputy Commissioner Kamrul Ahsan Talukder said that a three-member investigation committee, headed by Additional District Magistrate (ADM) Bipul Chandra Dey, has been formed to investigate the incident.