Gulistan blast: Rescue operation begins for the second day

Firefighting units have started their rescue operation for the second day this morning at the building in Siddique Bazar of Dhaka’s Gulistan, where 17 people lost their lives in a deadly explosion yesterday.

Three firefighting units started the rescue operation around 9 am but no one has been rescued yet, said Khaleda Yeasmin, duty officer of the Fire Service Control Room, around 11 am.

Meanwhile, a four-member probe body headed by Lt Col Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury, director of Fire Service and Civil Defense (Operation and maintenance), has been formed to look into the explosion that ripped through the 5-storey building in Gulistan.

The committee has been asked to submit its report within five working days, said Shahjahan Sikder, Deputy Additional Director of Fire service and Civil Defense headquarters media cell.

Yesterday, at least 17 people were dead and over 60 were injured in a massive explosion at a 5-storey building near a BRTC bus counter in the capital’s Gulistan area.

The explosion occurred around 4:50 pm, said Shahjahan Sikder.

The authorities handed over the bodies of the 17 in the morning, said Inspector Bachchu Mia, in-charge of Dhaka Medical College and Hospital police outpost.

The 17 deceased were identified as Sumon, 21, son of Momin of Suritola; Munsur Hossain, 40, son of Mosharraf hossain of Jatrabari; Ishak Mridha, 35, son of Dulal Mridha of Barishal; Md Ismail, 42, son of Hossain Ali of Bongshal; Rahat, 18, son of Jahangir Alam of South Keraniganj; Alamin, 23, son of Billal Hossain of Chandpur; Hridoy Mia, 18, son of Hashem Mia of Kishoreganj; Idris Mir, 50, son of Kala Chan Mir of Jatrabari; Mominul Islam, 38, son of Abul Hashem of Chawkbazar; Nodi Begum, 34, wife of Mominul Islam; Moin Uddin, 50, son of Jamir Uddin of Munshiganj; Nazmul Hossain, 20, son of Yunus Hossain of Bongshal; Obaidul Hasan, 55, son of Shaheb Ali of Manikganj; Abu Zafar Siddique, 34, son of Mozammel Haque of Munshiganj; Akuti Begum, 70, wife of Anwarul Islam of Bongshal; Nurul Islam Bhuiya, 55, son of Mohammad Bhuiya of Jatrabari; and Abdul Hakim Siam, 18, son of Dulal of Keraniganj.

Meanwhile, hospital sources said according to the relatives, 3-4 people remain missing since the explosion.

Among the injured, 11 people have been undergoing treatment at the Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery. The cause of the Gulistan explosion could not be ascertained yet.