Fire at CNG Pump in Bangladesh’s Sea City, 16 Burned

Darwin, 26 February: At least 16 people were injured after a fire broke out following an explosion at a newly built LPG filling station in the Kolatoli area of Cox’s Bazar, a coastal tourist city in Bangladesh.

Seven of the injured were taken to hospitals in Chattogram with serious burns, while three others in critical condition were transferred to the capital, Dhaka, for advanced treatment.

The explosion occurred around 10:20pm on Wednesday after a gas leak reportedly began at about 7:00pm at the newly constructed “N Alam” LPG pump.

Witnesses said gas had been spreading in the area for nearly three hours before a loud blast triggered a massive fire, causing panic among residents.

The blaze was brought under control after nearly five hours of joint efforts by the Bangladesh Army, Air Force, Fire Service, Red Crescent volunteers and local residents, around 3:00am.

Officials said the fire caused extensive damage, burning down the filling station along with at least 10 nearby houses and 20 to 25 tourist transport jeeps. The financial losses are expected to exceed several crore taka.

According to Syed Muhammad Morshed, Deputy Assistant Director of Cox’s Bazar Fire Service and Civil Defence, the filling station did not have official approval, and the explosion was caused by a gas leak. He added that legal action would be taken against the station’s owners.

Local resident Towhidul Islam said the strong smell of gas had made it difficult to breathe even before the explosion. After the blast, flames quickly spread from inside the station to adjacent buildings.

Authorities noted that nearly 20,000 people live in the surrounding Adarshagram, Chandrima Housing and Jailkhana areas, raising concerns about safety standards in densely populated neighborhoods.