Bangladesh mosque explosion toll rises to 24

The victims of the explosion in a mosque in Bangladesh on September 5, 2020. -

The gas explosion that devastated a mosque in Bangladesh left 24 people dead, according to a new report on Sunday.

Worshipers were taking part in prayers on Friday evening when an explosion followed by a fireball occurred in the Narayanganj mosque, near Dhaka.

The previous assessment reported 16 dead.

Eight people died during the night from Saturday to Sunday, including the imam and the muezzin, according to the spokesperson for the Dhaka hospital specializing in burns.

The toll could worsen further because 13 people are in critical condition, some 70 or 80% burned.

At least sixteen people have been killed and dozens more suffered severe burns in an explosion, possibly due to a gas leak, at a mosque near the capital of Bangladesh, police #AFP pic.twitter said on Saturday .com / hc9K9tWzPT

- Agence France-Presse (@afpfr) September 5, 2020

"Their faces were charred"

A witness said he saw survivors jump into an open sewer to escape the flames.

“They were shouting 'save us' as they rolled around in the water to cool their burnt bodies,” said the witness, who lost two cousins ​​and a brother-in-law in the drama.

“Their faces were charred and unrecognizable.

"

According to the investigation, the explosion was caused by a gas leak and a spark caused by an air conditioner.

The tragedy angered the population, with the committee in charge of the mosque saying the gas company had asked for a bribe to quickly fix the leaks.

The chairman of the committee said the mosque had been experiencing problems with the gas pipes for several days.

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