Death Toll Reaches Three Following Meghnaghat Power Plant Explosion

A third individual has succumbed to injuries sustained during a gas leak explosion at a power plant canteen in the Meghnaghat area of Sonargaon Upazila, Narayanganj. The latest casualty has been identified as 30-year-old Mohammad Kawsar, who passed away on Monday morning, 18 May 2026.

According to hospital officials, Kawsar died at approximately 06:15 while undergoing emergency treatment at the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery in Dhaka. He had been admitted to the specialized facility with deep inhalation burns and external injuries covering roughly 60 per cent of his body surface area.

Detailed Review of Casualties and Medical Status

The formal confirmation of the fatality was delivered by Dr Shawon Bin Rahman, the resident medical officer at the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery. Dr Rahman stated that a total of 12 patients had been rushed to the institute following the workplace accident on Wednesday afternoon, 13 May 2026.

Of the initial 12 admissions, three individuals have now been confirmed dead. Prior to Kawsar’s demise on Monday morning, two other facility workers had already succumbed to their injuries. The first casualty was Shankar, aged 25, who passed away on Thursday evening, 14 May 2026, after sustaining burns across 46 per cent of his body. The second fatality, Mohammad Amir, aged 25, passed away at approximately 10:00 on Saturday, 16 May 2026, after suffering from 80 per cent body burns.

Incident Timeline and Operational Status

The industrial accident occurred at approximately 12:45 to 13:00 on Wednesday, 13 May 2026, inside the officers’ canteen located within the dormitory complex of JERA Meghnaghat Power Limited (JMPL). Preliminary investigations by emergency services indicate that the blast was triggered by a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) leak originating from a commercial stove in the kitchen area.

The 12 individuals affected by the explosion were all employees or third-party service contractors working at the site. Plant management stated that because the kitchen facility was located in a separate structural wing away from the main generation block, the explosion caused no disruption to power generation. The plant continues to operate normally under the guidance of the National Load Dispatch Center (NLDC) and the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) while an official joint investigation is completed by the relevant authorities.