Seven killed in gas pipeline explosion in Bangladesh

At least seven people were killed and eight others injured in a gas pipeline explosion at a house in southeastern Bangladesh on Sunday, police said. The explosion occurred on the ground floor of a five-story building in Patharghata of Chattogram city at around 8:30 am, a police officer told bdnews24.com.

Pedestrians also suffered injuries after the outer walls of the building collapsed during the explosion. A shop just across from the building was also damaged in the blast, the report said. It was not immediately clear what caused the explosion.

The gas riser of the building was located beside the boundary wall at the bottom of the structure where the explosion occurred, police said. "Maybe there was a problem with the gas riser. The explosion might have been triggered by cooking activities in the morning or from a discarded cigarette butt," he was quoted as saying.