Bangladesh: Seven dead, 50 hurt in powerful blast

At least seven people were dead and 50 injured in a powerful explosion that ripped apart a three-storey building in Dhaka on Sunday, as per Bangladeshi officials. They cited a gas pipeline as the likely cause. The explosion was so forceful that windows of at least four moving buses were shattered. This injured dozens of passengers on board.

Dhaka police chief Shafiqur Rahman said at least seven people were killed in the explosion, though the fire service offered a lower death toll of three. Police and fire service officials said 50 people were injured.

"Fire service officers are at the scene. They will investigate the reason of the explosion. But primarily we believe methane gas accumulated and concentrated in the pipeline and then exploded in the ground floor," Dhaka Metropolitan Police Joint Commissioner Syed Nurul Islam told AFP.

The police chief ruled out foul play stating that Dhaka has seen several similar explosions in recent years.

Witnesses told local media the blast had reduced the building -- which houses a restaurant, an electronics shop and several other stores -- to rubble.

Police said at least two adjacent buildings were also partially damaged.

"At least four of the injured are in critical condition," said Samanta Lal Sen, a top doctor at the Sheikh Hasina Burn Hospital, where a dozen of the injured were taken for treatment.

A police bomb disposal unit rushed to the spot.

"We are analysing the nature of the explosion as the ground floor of the building was destroyed," unit leader Rahmatullah Chowdhury told The Daily Star.

(With inputs from agencies)