Karachi: At least 16 people, including several children, were killed and 14 others injured after a gas leak triggered a powerful explosion in a residential building in Pakistan’s Karachi early Thursday morning.
Police official Jamshed Ashar said the blast occurred around 4:30 am on the first floor of a building located in the Old Soldier Bazaar area. “The explosion took place early in the morning when people were awake,” he said.
The incident comes on the first day of Ramzan in Pakistan. Authorities said the explosion was caused by a gas leak. Due to gas shortages in the country’s largest city, many families, especially in low-income neighbourhoods, rely on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders for domestic use.
Police surgeon Dr Samia Syed confirmed that 16 bodies have been recovered from the site so far, while 14 injured persons are undergoing treatment. The impact of the blast caused a portion of the already dilapidated building structure to collapse.
Chief Fire Officer Humayun Khan said rescue teams were continuing search operations in the debris to check for more victims or survivors. “We are still combing through the rubble to ensure no one remains trapped,” he said.
Among those killed were at least nine children aged between two and 17 years. Seven children were also among the injured.
This is the second major tragedy in Karachi in recent weeks. Last month, a fire in the basement of the Gul Shopping Plaza in the Saddar area claimed at least 79 lives and left several others injured.
