Gas blast burns 37 at Bangladesh mosque


An underground gas pipeline near a mosque has exploded during evening prayers outside the capital of Bangladesh, leaving dozens of Muslim worshippers with critical burns, officials say.

The blast occurred on Friday night as people were finishing their prayers at Baitus Salat Jame Mosque at Narayanganj, local police chief Zayedul Alam said.

At least 37 people were admitted to a burn unit in a state-run hospital in the capital of Dhaka, said Samanta Lal Sen, a coordinator of the unit.

Most of them were in critical condition, Sen said.

TV stations reported that because of the impact of the gas line blast, at least six air conditioners also exploded inside the mosque.

Firefighters were investigating why the explosion took place.