12 dead, dozens injured in Bangladesh masjid air conditioner blast

Twelve worshipers, including a boy, were killed and dozens of others suffered serious burn injuries after air conditioners of a masjid in Narayanganjon the outskirts of Bangladesh capital Dhaka exploded Friday night, an official said Saturday morning.

Fire officials suspected a gas leak caused the horrendous incident, which occurred when the Muslim worshipers were about to leave the masjid after their Isha (night) prayers at around 9 p.m. local time Friday night.

All eight air-conditioners on the ground floor burst into flames when there were reportedly around 100 worshipers at the three-story masjid.

Shafiqul Islam, officer-in-charge of Fatullah Police Station in Narayanganj, said huge blasts caused window glass from the masjid to fly onto the street and ceiling fans, wires and electric switch boards to get burned.

Kamrul Ahsan, a control room official at the fire service headquarters in Dhaka, said firemen managed to bring the flames under control after around half an hour of hectic effort.

The Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil Defense have formed a committee to investigate the incident.

(Cover: Doctors treat burn Muslim worshipers in a hospital in Dhaka, Bangladesh, September 5, 2020. /AP)

Source(s): Xinhua News Agency