The dead are Titul, 30, Amirul, 30, Sharmin 12, Nurunnabi, 14, Atiq, 7, Rurul Amin, Russel, Rafiqul, and two unidentified persons, reports our staff correspondent at Bogra.

The boiler exploded during a demonstration of a steam engine devised by Moinul Islam, a lecturer of Physics in Mohimaganj College in the district, said our Gaibandha correspondent.

Moinul said the cheaply made engine that was to be used for running irrigation pumps and other machines related to agriculture would be cost effective also as it could be run with gas instead of fuel oil, witnesses said.

Several hundred curious villagers gathered to see the demonstration of the steam engine.

As the maker started the turbine at about 5:00pm, the gas chamber exploded, leaving four people dead on the spot and many others injured.

Six others died on the way to hospital.

The injured were rushed to Sonatala Upazila Health Complex and Mohammad Ali Hospital in Bogra and Mohimaganj Hospital in Gaibandha.

Groaning of the injured accompanied by anxiously moving relatives created messy situations there.

The conditions of several injured are critical, doctors said, adding that they are struggling hard to cope with the situation as the hospitals have very little arrangement for dealing with burn injury patients.

Meanwhile, mystery shrouded the fate of Moinul, the so-called inventor of the steam engine. Some said he fled the scene after the accident while others said he is among the injured who are undergoing treatment at a Bogra hospital.

Neither the upazila administration nor the local media knew anything about the 'invention' or 'demonstration' of the machine, Gobindaganj upazila nirbahi officer said, adding that they are investigating the matter.