Building Explosion in Bangladesh Capital, 18 Killed and Dozens Injured
Dhaka —
A powerful explosion inside a building in a busy neighborhood in the Bangladeshi capital, killed at least 18 people and injured dozens, officials said Tuesday. Previously, two similar fatal explosions occurred in the country recently.
The death toll from the three explosions has now reached 28. An explosion inside a building in Dhaka’s Siddik Bazar area rocked a neighborhood amid a traffic jam next to a seven-storey, roadside semi-commercial building, police said.
“At least 140 people are being treated in the emergency room of Dhaka Medical College hospital,” Superintendent of Police Bacchu Mia, who is in charge of the hospital’s police station, told VOA.
Fire service official Rashid Khaled said 11 fire engines and ambulances rushed to the scene to rescue people trapped under the rubble. Bricks, mortar, broken glass, and various items including furniture and electronics were strewn along the road.
The search and rescue operation was suspended in the evening and will resume in the morning after military technicians inspect the scene, Dhaka fire service chief Dinmoni Sharma told reporters.
Dhaka police chief Golam Faruq visited the injured in hospital and told reporters a special unit was working at the site to find the cause of the deadly explosion. [ps/jm]
