Five die as gas pipe explodes in lightning strike

Five people, including one child and two expectant mothers died in a fire originating from a gas line blast following a lightning strike in Golapganj upazila in Sylhet early yesterday.

The deceased were identified as Shebu Begum, 22, from Ponairchak village in Golapganj upazila, Taskima Begum, 30, from Khalermukh village in South Surma upazila, her two-year old son Tahmid and Shebul Miah, 16 of Nowai village of the same upazila.

The fifth deceased, aged around 16, could not identified.

AKM Fazlul Haque Shibly, officer-in-charge of Golapganj Police Station said that the fire broke out in a gas pipeline adjacent to a room at Lailu Mia's colony (slum) in Lakkhanabanda Club Bazar area after lightning struck at around 3:00am during the midnight rain. The fire then spread into the slum.

He said that all deceased were residents of the slum. Quoting other slum residents, the OC said that both women who died in the fire were pregnant.

Two units of the Fire Service and Civil Defence worked for more than two hours to bring the fire under control.

Two other people injured in the fire are being treated at Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College.

The dead bodies were sent to Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical   College Hospital for autopsy, the police official said.