Home ›› 09 Mar 2023 ›› Front
More than 30 hours have passed since a massive explosion ripped through a seven-storey building in Dhaka’s Siddique Bazar area and killed 19 people but the authorities are yet to find out the reason behind it.
Before this, 10 people were killed in two blasts and subsequent fires in Chattogram and Dhaka on March 4 and 5, respectively. Authorities have not provided any viable answer to the question of how and why these fatal incidents happened.
After three major explosions and dozens of lives lost in a week, general people have become worried with netizens on social media wondering if these were extremist attacks even though law enforcement agencies are ensuring that there has been no evidence of acts of sabotage.
However, they are yet to find out why these incidents — which they are so far suspecting accidents caused by accumulated gas — took place as well.
Investigations will determine the real reasons behind all these explosions and the responsible people will be charged, said law enforcers.
The huge blast at the 180/1 North South Road building known as Queen Sanitary Market at Siddique Bazar, near the Gulistan intersection, at around 4:40pm on Tuesday had caught the people of the area off-guard.
Before anyone could understand what happened, several people were killed on the spot as the ground and first floors of the building were destroyed and the basement damaged. The debris had hit the pedestrians and vehicles on the street, spreading mass panic.
Since the rescue operation started on Tuesday evening, 19 people, including two women, have been declared dead and more than 100 others injured — including several in critical condition, according to first responders and hospital officials.
The explosion left several columns of the building badly damaged, which hindered the rescuers’ efforts on Wednesday to clear the rubble and find victims — dead or alive — on the three floors. The two adjacent buildings were also slightly damaged.
Since then, authorities have declared the building very risky and closed off the street to traffic until further notice.
Police have already questioned the building owners about its clearance, condition, residents and the businesses it housed, according to Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s (DMP) Additional Commissioner Mohid Uddin.
The process to start an unnatural death case is also underway at Bangshal Police Station, officials confirmed.
Rescue efforts slow
Eleven units of Fire Service and Civil Defence (FSCD) have been leading the rescue operation since the incident happened. They recovered the bodies of two more people on Wednesday.
The rescue team resumed their operation for the second day at around 9am Wednesday. Police, RAB, army, RAJUK and Titas are among the agencies working closely with them.
During their efforts, the rescuers found several columns to be severely damaged and warned other authorities about the risk of further collapse.
FSCD Director Lt Col Mohammad Tajul Islam Chowdhury said that they were using both heavy and light equipment from the beginning of the rescue efforts.
“But now we are carrying out light rescue operations as the building is in a vulnerable condition. We are trying to avoid further risk in and around the building as much as possible,” he said.
Bangladesh Army’s 14 Independent Engineer Brigade’s Lt Col Sheikh Abdur Rashid said that their bomb disposal team searched the debris and was yet to find any evidence of a bomb or explosives.
“We are also trying to evaluate the building’s condition now. Five out of 16 columns have been damaged and it’s in a risky condition. This has to be handled safely and manually. It cannot be disturbed by heavy equipment,” he added. “We are ready to provide all kinds of support.”
According to locals, the building was constructed around four decades ago. Initially, it had three floors. Four more storeys were built later by the original late owner. His two sons own it now.
There were sanitary stores and warehouses on the two lower floors and basement, with the now-closed Cafe Queen on the third floor. The upper floors are all residential flats — both rented and owned.
Possible causes
DMP’s Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) Unit and RAB’s bomb disposal team have also inspected the building.
They said the explosion may have occurred in the basement and it could have been the result of any of five possible causes — all involving accumulated or leaked gas.
They said natural gas could have accumulated after being released from the underground water tank; gas could have accumulated from a septic tank between two buildings; gas may have accumulated from a broken pipe or methane gas may be accumulated in the walls; gas could have accumulated from a leak on sewage pipes; and the large generator in the building may have accumulated gas in some way.
RAB’s Bomb Disposal Unit Deputy Director Major Moshiur Rahman said that their initial sweep found that the blast took place in the basement. “This was not a normal explosion. It could have been caused by leaked gas or another reason.”
“The magnitude of the explosion was huge. We have collected samples and sent them to our forensic laboratory. We will know for sure why the explosion happened after we get the report,” he added.
However, Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Ltd’s Director (Operations) Eng Md Salim Miah said, “During our three-tier initial investigation, our detector machine did not find the presence of any gas that could have resulted in the explosion.”
“Besides, the building’s gas riser is still intact and there was no fire after the blast. If gas was involved, then there would have been a fire. That’s why we think this incident did not happen due to a gas leak,” he said.
“However, we’ll know more after the investigation ends,” he added.
Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha’s (RAJUK) Director (Zone-5) Hafizul Islam told reporters that their team was also investigating. He, however, could not confirm whether the building was constructed according to the construction code and rules.
He said they would have access to the information once their office reopens after the Shab-e-Barat holiday.
11 critically injured
Dr Samanta Lal Sen, the chief coordinator of Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery, said that 10 people injured in the explosion were receiving treatment there.
All of them suffered 50 to 90 per cent burns on their bodies and had their respiratory system damaged. Three of them are in the ICU and two are on life support, he said. “None of them are out of danger.”
Dhaka Medical College and Hospital Director Brig Gen Md Nazmul Haque said that more than 100 injured people had come to the hospital after the explosion. Most of them were released after they received first aid.
One victim is currently in the ICU while the condition of the others admitted to the hospital is slowly improving, he said.
He said 13 dead bodies were brought to the hospital after the incident and four others died while undergoing treatment. All 17 bodies were handed over to their families on Wednesday.
Sabotage or not?
Locals have demanded a proper investigation into the incident as many wondered whether accumulated or leaked gas could create such a huge explosion and claim so many lives.
Visiting the blast site, National Human Rights Commission Chairman Kamal Uddin Ahmed echoed their demand while talking to reporters.
This incident followed the explosions at the Sitakunda oxygen plant in Chattogram and Science Lab in Dhaka. Detectives, investigators and experts need to find out beyond the shadow of a doubt whether these incidents were acts of sabotage or just accidents, he said.
After visiting the scene on Wednesday, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said the reason behind the blast will be known after investigation.
“The seven-storey building has become risky and the whole building may collapse under pressure. So a rescue operation in the basement should be started after creating a stable situation,” he said.
The extent of the damage could have been minimised if the building had been constructed following the building code, he added.
