Ten people, including women and children, sustained burn injuries after a suspected gas leak triggered an explosion in a house in Dhaka’s Turag area early today.

The blast occurred around 3:30am on the first floor of a building near Member Bari on Kabarstan Road in Sector 10 of Kamarpara. Parts of the ground floor and first-floor walls collapsed in the impact.

The injured were admitted to the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery – several of them in critical condition.

The victims were identified as Md Rubel, 30; his pregnant wife Sonia Akter, 25; their daughter Roza, 3; Sonia’s elder sister Ria, 27; Rubel’s cousin Enayet Ali, 32; Enayet’s wife Delera Khatun, 28; their son Junayed, 10; Enayet’s younger brother Habib, 30; Enayet’s niece Ayesha Khatun, 19; and Abu Kalam Rubel, 35.

Sajed Matubbar, a nephew of Enayet who took the victims to the hospital, said Rubel, a motorcycle ride-sharing driver, lives with his family in the building. Enayet, who lives in Dubai and recently returned to Bangladesh, had come to visit Rubel’s house in Turag with his family from their home in Shibchar upazila of Madaripur, Sajed said, adding that he lives on the third floor of the building.

According to Sajed, residents heard a loud explosion around 3:30am.

“After hearing the blast, we rushed out and saw that parts of the ground floor and the first floor walls had collapsed. All 10 people inside the flat suffered burn injuries,” he said, adding that they suspected the blast occurred from gas accumulation.

Resident Surgeon Dr Shawon Bin Rahman of the institute said Sonia suffered 100 percent burns, while Enayet sustained 85 percent burns.

Rubel suffered 32 percent burns, Ria 32 percent, Roza 18 percent, Delera 14 percent, Junayed 24 percent, Habib 19 percent, Ayesha 12 percent, and Abu Kalam Rubel 7 percent burns.

He added that several of the victims also sustained injuries to their airways. All are currently undergoing treatment.

Senior Station Officer Alam Hossain of Uttara Fire Station told The Daily Star firefighters rushed to the scene after receiving information about the incident but did not have to take action as the fire had already been extinguished.

“We suspect the explosion occurred due to accumulated gas, which damaged several flats on the second and third floors,” he said.