August 16, 2007	Thursday	Sha’aban 2, 1428

RAWALPINDI, Aug 15: Two persons were killed and eight others were badly burnt in a fire, apparently caused by a gas explosion, in a hotel at the Faizabad bus stop on Wednesday morning, police and eyewitnesses said.

Initially the explosion in Al-Sakhawat Hotel was thought to be a bomb attack. But the City Police Officer Syed Muravet Ali Shah said it was undoubtedly a fire incident caused by leaking gas.

“Had it been a bomb blast, the victims would have suffered wounds and cuts but all of them had burn injuries,” the officer told Dawn.

Most of the injured were holiday-makers from Lahore and had checked-in at about 2.30am. They were to leave for Murree on Wednesday.

“I don’t know what caused the explosion. I was sitting in my room and there was a sudden big bang,” Mohammad Arif, an injured tourist told Dawn.

“There was glass shreds and fire all around me. People were crying and shouting for help,” he said.

Eyewitnesses said the explosion was heard around 9:30am. People in the street ran in panic and a plume of smoke was seen rising from the first floor of the hotel.

It appeared the explosion took place in Room 105 on that floor where a five-member family from Lahore was staying.

The explosion blew away doors of several other rooms, shattered the false ceiling in the corridor and damaged cars parked outside the hotel. It was so powerful that it broke windowpanes in neighbouring buildings also.

Security personnel and ambulance arrived at the scene shortly after the explosion and rushed the victims to Rawalpindi General Hospital (RGH) and the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences.

Doctors found two of them, Khurram Masih, 20, a hotel employee, and Sabir Qayyum, 30, in critical condition. Both died of their severe burn injuries at the two hospitals. Legs of Sabir Qayyum were amputated in a bid to save him but he did not survive.

The injured shifted to the RGH were 10 to 15 per cent burnt. They were identified as Mohammad Arif, 28, Mubashir Ghaffar, 22, Muhammad Akhtar and his wife Khalida Bibi; Mohammad Arshad, 20, residents of Kasur; Shah Nazar Banas, 20, resident of Kohat; Ikramul Haq, 19, a hotel employee, and Mohammad Hussain, 30, resident of Bajaur.

Mohammad Hussain was discharged after being provided initial treatment, the hospital sources said.