AC explosion in Bangladesh mosque kills 12, injures 25 (Representational image)
At least 12 worshippers, including a child, succumbed to their injuries after six air conditioners exploded in a mosque on the outskirts of Bangladesh's capital Dhaka.
The blast took place at the mosque in Narayanganj river port town at around 9 pm on Friday.
While 11 worshippers died during treatment on Saturday, a minor boy succumbed to his injuries on Friday, said Dr Samantha Lal Sen, chief of state-run Dhaka Medical College Hospital's burn unit -- National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery.
He said 25 others are now being treated at the unit, but their condition are "very critical” as the burn caused more than 90 per cent damage to their bodies.
Fire officials suspect accumulated gas from a leaked pipe line caused a fire that might have triggered the AC explosion.
"A pipeline of Titas Gas passes beneath the mosque. We are suspecting that gas had leaked from the pipeline and accumulated inside as the windows were closed. The explosion was probably triggered due to sparks when someone tried to switch on or off the ACs or fans," Narayanganj Fire Service’s Deputy Assistant Director Abdullah Al Arefin was quoted as saying by the Dhaka Tribune.
Witnesses said they found five to six people coming out of the mosque as soon as the blast occurred. Worshipers, most of them severely burnt, were found lying on the floor, according to them, the report said. Police and fire service departments have launched separate investigations into the incident.
