April 18, 2007	Wednesday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 29, 1428

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SIALKOT, April 17: Two paramedics were killed and nine others, including two children, injured seriously in a big explosion believed to be caused by a gas leak in the Pasrur civil hospital on Tuesday.

Reports said there had been a leakage of Sui gas from main supply line in the hospital’s store along with main medical ward for the last several days.

On Tuesday, paramedical employee Ghulam Mustafa went to the medical store to take some goods from there. As he lit the match, a huge explosion occurred. Nine empty oxygen gas cylinders also blew up and badly damaged the medical ward, collapsing its outer wall.

Glasses of all the windows, doors of the hospital and the surrounding buildings were also shattered.

The blast caused a stampede in the hospital as scores of indoor and outdoor patients ran for shelter.

Two injured paramedics Khadim Husain and Salamat died on way to the Mayo Hospital, Lahore.

The injured were identified as Balqis Bibi, Noor Begum, Riaz, Naheed, Adeeba, Iqra, Rehana, Farzana, and Ghulam Mustafa.

Four of the injured were shifted to Mayo, one at Sialkot CMH and the rest to Allama Iqbal Memorial Hospital, Sialkot.

The management of Pasrur hospital told newsmen that they had repeatedly informed the Sialkot SNGPL officials about the continuous gas leakage but they did not pay any attention to the matter. When contacted, the gas officials refused to comment.

Firefighters controlled the fire after two-hour efforts.

There was power loadshedding at the time of the explosion, which hampered rescue operation.

After this explosion, rumours of bomb blast spread in Pasrur and its surrounding areas. As a result police and intelligence agencies launched a search operation to find any explosive device.

Punjab Health Minister Chaudhry Iqbal has constituted a three-member committee, headed by Director General Health Dr Aslam Chaudhry, to probe the blast.

Sialkot EDO (Health) Dr Javed Umar and Gujranwala EDO Dr Nisar Ahmad Cheema are other members. The committee will submit its report in five days.

Later, Sialkot district nazim Muhammad Akmal Cheema visited the Govt Allama Iqbal Memorial DHQ Hospital, inquired after the injured people and directed provision of free medical treatment to them.

Official sources confirmed that it was a big explosion caused by the prolonged leakage of Sui gas.

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