The incident occurred at around 8.30pm on Wednesday (4 November) at United Cylinder Re-testing Centre-2 in the Naojor area of Gazipur city. Fire service personnel from two units rushed to the scene and brought the blaze under control within minutes.
The injured were identified as Ahad, 19, Abdullah, 18, Ashraful, 26, and Naim, 25. According to doctors, Ahad sustained burns to 55 per cent of his body, making his condition particularly serious. Abdullah suffered burns to 20 per cent of his body, Ashraful to 15 per cent and Naim to four per cent.
Hiron Mia, senior officer at the Gazipur-Chourasta Modern Fire Station, said the fire broke out in a cylinder at United Cylinder Re-testing Centre-2, beside Riaz Filling Station in Naojor, at around 8.40pm.
Following the report, two fire service units reached the site at 8.44pm. They managed to bring the flames under control by 8.50pm and completely extinguished the fire at around 9.30pm.
According to Hiron Mia, preliminary assessments suggest that gas leakage from a filled cylinder may have triggered the incident. Fire service officials initially received information that two people had been injured. However, when the teams arrived, they could not locate anyone at the scene.
Later, Talha Bin Jasim, a member of the Media Cell of the Fire Service and Civil Defence, confirmed that four people had sustained burn injuries in the fire. He said the injured had been taken to the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery in Dhaka for medical treatment.
Citing Sultan Mahmud Shikder, resident surgeon at the institute’s emergency department, Talha provided details of the extent of their injuries. Ahad suffered burns to 55 per cent of his body, Abdullah to 20 per cent, Ashraful to 15 per cent and Naim to four per cent.
Ahad, Abdullah and Ashraful were admitted to the institute’s High Dependency Unit (HDU) for closer medical supervision. Ahad’s condition was described as critical. Naim, meanwhile, was kept under observation in the emergency department. All four were receiving treatment at the institute.
The incident has once again drawn attention to safety concerns at facilities where gas cylinders are handled, tested and stored. Gas leakage can create a serious fire hazard, particularly in workplaces where filled cylinders are kept or undergo inspection. Even a small leak may lead to a dangerous situation if gas comes into contact with a source of ignition.
Cylinder re-testing facilities play an important role in checking the condition and safety of gas containers before they are returned to use. Proper inspection, leak detection, safe handling and adequate precautions are therefore essential to reducing the risk of accidents.
Although fire service officials suspect gas leakage as the possible cause of the Gazipur incident, the exact circumstances surrounding the outbreak have yet to be established. The immediate priority remains the treatment of the injured, particularly Ahad, whose extensive burns have left him in a critical condition.
