1 killed, 4 injured in Jhenaidah court blast

A man was killed and four others were injured in an explosion in the storeroom of the Jhenaidah Chief Judicial Magistrate Court building on Sunday afternoon.

The office of the Chief Judicial Magistrate is just above the floor where the explosion took place around 1pm.

Public Prosecutor of the court Ismail Hossain said four mechanics were working to renovate the storeroom when their welding machine exploded.

Meanwhile, Jhenaidah Detective Branch (DB) of police Officer-in-Charge Anwar Hossain confirmed that it was not a bomb explosion. 

Deputy Commissioner Md Mujibur Rahman initially said that there was a gas cylinder in the room and it might have exploded during the renovation work.

Members of fire service and police rescued the injured after the blast and took them to Jhenaidah Sadar Hospital where doctors announced one of them dead.

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OC of Jhenaidah Sadar police station Sheikh Md Sohel Rana confirmed the matter to Dhaka Tribune. 

The deceased was identified as Shafiq, a resident of Kastshagra village in the Sadar upazila. 

Smoke spread throughout the building and the surrounding areas following the incident. People who were outside started running about in panic.

Upon receiving the news, the deputy commissioner, officials of the fire department and various offices of the district administration rushed to the spot.

Riaz, a policeman on duty at the spot, said another policeman named Anupam was drinking water nearby when there was a huge explosion inside the building. The shattered window glass lodged itself in Anupam’s chest.

Of the injured, both legs of one of the workers were completely cut off.

Jhenaidah Fire Service Deputy Assistant Director Shamimul Islam said: "We came to the spot upon receiving the news. I rescued one of the injured and rushed him to the hospital.”

He said the cause of the explosion would be revealed after an investigation.