Twelve people were burned in an explosion caused by a gas leak at the canteen of the JERA Meghna Ghat power plant in Sonargaon, Narayanganj, on Wednesday, May 13, 2026. The injured were taken to the Burn Institute in Dhaka for treatment. The victims include both power plant officials and canteen staff.

According to colleagues, the explosion occurred during lunchtime when employees were eating at the canteen. Flames and heat caused burns to the hands, faces, and legs of at least twelve people. Burn Institute resident surgeon Shawon Bin Rahman confirmed that twelve patients had been admitted and their burn percentages were being assessed.

The plant’s safety officer, Fakhrul Islam, stated that four of the injured were canteen workers while the rest were plant officials. He suggested that the incident might have occurred because a gas stove was left on after cooking, and when someone lit a flame, the explosion took place.