The death toll from Friday night's mosque air-conditioner blasts in Narayanganj has climed to 21 on Saturday.
Sources from Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) confirmed the information to The Business Post.
Imam of the mosque Abdul Malek, 60, and muezzin Delwar Hossain, 48, are among the deceased.
Other victims who have succumbed to their burn injuries are identified as: Sabbir, 21, Mostofa Kamal, 34, Rifat, 18, Zubayer, 18, Kuddus Bapari, 70, Humayun Kabir, 70, Ibrahim, 43, Zunayed, 17, Jamal, 40, Jewel, 7, Rashed, 30, Joynal, 50, Mainuddin, 12, Kanchan Howlader, 50, Nayan, 27, Russell, 34, Bahauddin, 62, Nizam, 40 and Nadim, 45.
Some others are recieving treatment with critical injuries, said the hospital sources.
Locals said the explosion took place around 8:45 pm at Baitus Salat Mosque of Fatullah when the devotees had just finished their prayers.
One of the air conditioners of the mosque went off and sparked a fire inside the mosque. Later, all the six ACs exploded there, creating panic among the devotees.
Abdullah Al Arefin, deputy assistant director of Narayanganj Fire Service, said firefighters, on information, rushed to the spot, rescued the injured and sent them to hospital.
Dr Imtiaj, civil surgeon of Narayanganj, said the injured were first taken to Narayanganj General Hospital. Of them, 20 were later sent to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) in critical condition.
Locals accused Titas Gas Transmission & Distribution Company Limited (TGTDCL) of being inactive to solve a gas leakage issue in the mosque building which was going on for quite a long time. They claimed that they occasionally used to smell gas inside the mosque.
Upon initial investigation, fire service authorities believe the incident might have occurred due to gas leakage.
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