Gas Pipe Leak: 8 injured as bus, pick-up catch fire

At least eight people were injured as a bus and a pick-up van caught fire from a leaking gas pipeline on Mirpur road in the capital's Dhanmondi area yesterday afternoon.

The “Number-7” bus caught fire in front of Sunrise Plaza near Dhanmondi-27 around 3:35pm, Ashraful Islam, station officer of Mohammadpur fire service station, told The Daily Star.

Most of the injured were the bus passengers, the fire station official said, adding that a pickup van also caught fire at that time.

On information, two units of firefighters rushed to the spot and doused the flame, he said.

Of the injured, two were admitted at Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital with burn injuries, while the six others took primary treatment, said GG Biswas, officer-in-charge of Mohammadpur Police Station.

“The bus caught fire when it was stopped right where the gas was leaking from the Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company pipeline,” added the OC.

One side of the road from Rapa Plaza to Manik Mia Avenue remained blocked for hours following the incident. The incident resulted in heavy traffic in the area as the bus was rescued.

Meanwhile, the gas line repair work disrupted gas supply in the area.

“A valve kit was damaged,” said Md Kamruzzaman Khan, director (operation) of Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Limited (TGTDCL).

Due to the gas line repair, some areas, including Dhanmondi, Kalabagan, Shukrabad, Greenroad, Farmgate, Rajabazar, Kalyanpur, Gabtoli, Shymoli, Mohammadpur and Adabor, experienced disruption and low gas pressure, he added.

The supply had not resumed till 10:00pm last night.