Eight members of a family, including children, sustained burn injuries in a gas cylinder explosion in the kitchen of a residential building in Chattogram city early Monday (February 23).

The incident occurred on the third floor of Halima Manzil, adjacent to AC Mosque under Halishahar Police Station.

The injured have been identified as Md Shipon, 30; Md Suman, 40; Shawon, 17; Ayesha, 4; Anas, 7; Aiman, 9; Md Shakhawat, 46; and Pakhi, 35. Four of them are reported to be in critical condition.

Two units of the Fire Service rushed to the scene after the explosion triggered a fire and brought the blaze under control following nearly one and a half hours of effort.

Md Mokbul, a neighbour who took the victims to the hospital, said he learned that the gas cylinder exploded in the kitchen before sehri. All the injured are members of the same family. Relatives from Burichang in Cumilla had been visiting a brother’s residence. The eight victims were admitted to the hospital around 5:30 am.

Sub-Inspector Md Ashiq, in charge of the police outpost at Chattogram Medical College Hospital, said the burn victims, including children, were brought to the hospital at dawn and admitted to the Burn and Plastic Surgery Unit (Ward 36). Several of them remain in critical condition.