Three friends enjoying a day out in Hatirjheel suffered burns, when a manhole close to where they were sat ‘exploded’. It happened on the west side of the Hatirjheel Metropolitan Bridge on Wednesday afternoon.
The injured have been identified as Siam (18), Al Kabid (22) and Farhad Akash (21). They are currently undergoing treatment at Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery, where an officer on duty in the evening told UNB that they each have 5-15 % burns on their bodies.
Their identities were confirmed to UNB by Sub-Inspector (SI) Aminul Islam, who led the team rescuing the three youths.
Manhole explosions have been reported everywhere from the United States to China. In both countries they are said to be common in certain places, or certain times of the year.
In China they usually occur when methane released from the sewers catches fire. In the U.S., they are said to be usually caused by electrical fires in underground cabling.
In Bangladesh they seem to be rarer, or less reported anyway, with sporadic incidents from Jatrabari, Indira Road reported in the media in the last two years.
Source: United News of Bangladesh