8 officials, staff of Titas Gas suspended over N’ganj mosque blast

Titas Gas has suspended four of its officials and 4 staff members over the deadly blast at a mosque in Narayanganj that killed 27 people so far.

The authorities of Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Limited took the decision on Monday amid allegations of negligence of duty by the suspended employees.

Confirming the matter, Titas Gas Managing Director Ali Md Al Mamun told Banglanews: “The mosque is under the authority of Fatulla regional branch of Titas. The manager, deputy manager, two engineers and four members of the response team of that office have been temporarily suspended for negligence of duty.”

It has been widely reported that some Titas officials were informed about a leakage of the gas pipeline lying underneath the mosque but took no action to repair it.

At least 40 people suffered severe burn injuries when an AC blasted at Pashchim Talla Baitus Salah Mosque in Narayanganj around 8.45 pm on Friday.

A total of 27 burn victims died as of Monday while 10 others are now undergoing treatment at the Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery in Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

Narayanganj Fire Service Deputy Assistant Director Abdullah Al Arefin said that a gas pipe line of Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company Limited has gone through the bottom of the mosque and a leakage in that pipeline might have caused the explosion.