Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader today said the government was looking into the recent incidents of explosion and fire to check whether the BNP had a hand in those after failing in their movement

The two bodies were recovered from the basement of the seven-storey building

"The gas riser device in the building is intact. The evidence we have collected using a gas detector also does not indicate it was an explosion due to gas," said Md Salim Miah, director operations of the operation division at Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Co Ltd.

Relatives of the missing victims of yesterday's Gulistan blast have kept their eyes fixed on the rescue team, who resumed their operation this afternoon.

But when there is a leak and gas accumulates inside a closed space or room, it is akin to a ticking time-bomb. And when that accumulated gas comes in contact with a spark from an electric short-circuit or when someone lights a matchstick, an explosion rips through the room.

"Around 4:30 or 4:45pm, the ceiling and the walls began to collapse following a big blast. I cannot remember much of what happened afterwards."

At least 487 people died and 712 were injured in 439 road crashes in February alone, according to a report of Road Safety Foundation

According to their primary observations, the seven-storey building is in a risky state now, and the slab of the ground floor has also collapsed

In light of previous experiences, Kamal Uddin said he has the ground to suspect it could be a case of sabotage.

"But if the country's experts fail [to investigate], we will seek assistance from foreign experts," the home minister said

"The rest of the patients who are being treated at different wards, units and burn wards are improving gradually"

The missing persons are Md Mehdi Hasan Swapan, Md Robin Hossain, and Imtiaz Mohammad Bhuiyan

"Rescue personnel could not start operations at full scale until they are given clearance from authorities"

Ten people, who were injured in yesterday's explosion at Gulistan, are undergoing treatment at Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery and are all in critical condition.

"My friend Momin Uddin Sumon's shop was on the ground floor of this building. After hearing the news of the explosion, I kept calling him. The call went through but Momin did not receive the call," Arif said.

Dismayed at the delay in the rescue operation, grief-stricken Abdul Mannan who came from Chattogram in search of his niece's husband, urged the government to deploy army to speed up rescue operations.

The committee will submit a probe report within five working days

The team has received specialised training to handle crisis situations and perform under time constraint. Once a month, they receive training, and frequent meetings are held to discuss how to improve services

At the spot, an on-duty Rab official was heard speaking on his mobile and requesting a top official of Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) to send an engineer for clearance

Rescue operations at the building in Gulistan, where an explosion yesterday claimed the lives of at least 17 people, will resume shortly