12 dead, dozens suffer burn injuries in Bangladesh mosque air conditioner explosion

Twelve worshippers including a boy died and dozens of others suffered serious burn injuries after air conditioners of a mosque burst on Friday night in Bangladesh`s central Narayanganj district, an official said on Saturday morning.

Samanta Lal Sen, the coordinator of the Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery in Dhaka, told journalists that "12 people till Saturday morning died after being admitted to the institute with major burns on their bodies."He said at least 37 injured were rushed to the institute on Friday night. 

Most of the victims suffered from 60 to 70 per cent burns, and the health condition of 25 others is also critical.Fire officials suspected a gas leak when worshippers were about to leave the mosque after their Isha (night) prayers at around 9 pm (local time) on Friday. 

All eight air-conditioners on the ground floor burst into flames when there were reportedly around 100 worshippers at the three-storey mosque.Shafiqul Islam, officer-in-charge of Fatullah Police Station in Narayanganj, said huge blasts caused window glasses of the mosque fly onto the street and burnt ceiling fans, wires and electric switchboards.Kamrul Ahsan, a control room official at the fire service headquarters in Dhaka, said firemen managed to bring the flames under control after hectic efforts of around half an hour.The Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil Defence formed a committee to investigate the incident.