PESHAWAR, Dec 18: Four members of a family were killed and as many seriously injured as the roof of a room fell on them after a gas cylinder explosion in the Tehkal village here on Thursday.

Eyewitnesses said they heard an explosion early in the morning, but initially could not understand what had happened. “We came to know when we heard shouting of the people,” said one Ahmed.

An injured Ruhila, wife of Yaseen, told police the incident happened at about 6am. She said there were three cylinders and one of them had leakage. She said gas had spread in the room from the cylinder and as she set fire to the cylinder it burst and the room’s roof collapsed. The explosion also damaged the walls of the room and household items.

The woman said her husband Yaseen and daughters Amina, Harish and Aishah died on the spot, while minor sons Bilal, Tehsin and Khalid received burn injuries. They were taken to the Khyber Teaching Hospital.

A doctor in the hospital, when contacted, told Dawn that the boys had got serious injuries.