The children injured in the gas cylinder blast at Mirpur’s Rupnagar in Dhaka are yet to overcome the trauma they experienced.
The explosion from the gas cylinder of a balloon vendor on Wednesday (Oct 30) killed seven children and injured more than 14.
As many as seven children are still at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) in critical condition.
DMCH Emergency Department resident doctor Md Alauddin said that none of the seven children are out of danger. However, three of them, Mizan, Johny and Mostakin are especially critical.
Their families said that all of them are in a state of panic, becoming easily startled. According to the doctors, even if they recover physically, it will be a while before they recover mentally.
Mizan’s father Rokon Mia told Bangla Tribune that he responds to calls but is unable to talk and keeps loosing conciousness.
Seven-year-old Mostakin, who lives in Rupnagar’s Jheelpar slum is admitted at DMCH with 25 percent burn injuries.
His mother works at a ready-made garments factory while his father works at a plastic factory. Added to their trauma of a son in critical condition is the struggle to pay for treatment with their limited income.
Mostakin’s father Mofizur Rahman said that when the explosion occurred, he ran to the street to find locals taking him to the hospital.
“I immediately brought him to Dhaka Medical College Hospital where two people said that he [Mostakin] won’t receive proper treatment there,” he said.
He added that they took the boy to a Narayanganj Hospital before realising they have been trapped by a broker.
“We took him to the eye hospital from there and then brought him back to DMCH,” he said.
All the children killed and injured in the blast are from low income families trying to make ends meet. They are yet to receive any financial aid and those released with primary treatment on Wednesday are strugling to afford medicines.