MANSEHRA, Jan 1: A woman, her five children and a nephew were killed and four others, including two women, were injured when a gas cylinder exploded in their house in the Allai area of Battagram district on Monday night, police and witnesses said.

Those injured said that the family had lit the gas cylinder to heat up the room as the weather had become chilly, but the cylinder caught fire and exploded, killing Farnagish Bibi, wife of Umer Khitab, her three sons and two daughters and a nephew on the spot.

Farnagish’s sons were identified as Suleman, Adnan and Abid, while the names of her daughters’ and nephew could not be ascertained.

Mohammad Anwar, Umer Khatab and their two sisters suffered severe burn injuries in the blast. They were taken to a hospital where doctors said that the condition of the women was critical.