Explosion kills 15 in crowded market in Bangladesh capital
Firefighters and rescue workers are seen on the site of an explosion in a multi storey building in Dhaka, Bangladesh, March 7, 2023. REUTERS
Tuesday’s explosion in a busy market area of Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, resulted in at least 15 fatalities and numerous injuries, according to a local fire department official.
According to the official, the explosion took place within a seven-story structure and severely damaged two levels.
“There were numerous stores selling home items and sanitary products. The blast also caused damage to a bus parked on the building’s other side “Dinomoni Sharma, a fire department official, added.
The cause of the blast was unclear, Sharma said, adding that the death toll could rise as rescue operations were ongoing.
Images from the scene showed extensive damage to the building and nearby structures, with items that were once inside the shops piled up on the street. Some pedestrians were hurt be falling rubble and broken glass.
Kamal Ahmed, who was among those injured in the explosion, told local media he was shopping on the sidewalk when he heard a loud bang.
“Hearing the sound, I fell. Then I saw smoke covering the whole area. No buildings are visible. All the people are running,” he said.
It follows the death of three people in an explosion in Dhaka on Sunday
On Sunday, three were killed in a suspected gas explosion in Dhaka. On Saturday, seven people were killed and several injured when a fire broke out following an explosion at an oxygen plant in southeastern Bangladesh.
