Gulistan blast: Rescue operation goes into 3rd day

Gulistan explosion - rescue operation goes into third day

Dhaka, Mar 9 – Rescue operation continues for the third day today at the building in Siddique Bazar of Dhaka’s Gulistan where a deadly explosion claimed the lives of 20 people.

Lima Khanam, duty officer of Fire Service and Civil Defense headquarters control room, said the firefighting units are still continuing the rescue operation but there was no report of recovery or rescue. 

Earlier, on Tuesday, at least 17 people were killed and over 100 were injured in a massive explosion in a 5-storey building near a BRTC bus counter in the capital’s Gulistan area. 

Meanwhile, two bodies were recovered from the debris yesterday. 

Musa Haider, 45, a victim succumbed to his injuries at Dhaka Medical College and Hospital last night, raising the death toll to 20. 

The explosion occurred around 4:50pm on Tuesday. A sanitary materials shop on the ground floor of the building, BRAC Bank office on one of the other floors and an adjacent 7-storey building were damaged but no building collapsed. 

A four-member probe body headed by Lt Col Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury, director of Fire Service and Civil Defense (Operation and maintenance), has been formed to investigate the explosion. 

The committee was asked to submit its report within five working days, said Shahjahan Sikder, Deputy Additional Director of Fire service and Civil Defense headquarters media cell. - UNB