RAWALPINDI: Five members of a family, including an infant were burnt in a fire that erupted due to a gas leak in their home in Dhoke Ratta on Thursday.

Gas had been leaking in the kitchen overnight and when Shabana Safdar lit a match to light the stove in the morning there was a loud explosion. Fire erupted and window panes and doors were shattered.

The fire quickly spread through the two storey house and Safdar Khan and his two sons Azhar Safdar 12, Mazhar Sardar 11 and one month old Fatima were injured.

Soon after the fire started, the six fire fighters from emergency service Rescue 1122 rushed to the scene and controlled the fire before it engulfed the neighboring buildings.  

Ms Shabana sustained 70 percent burns, while her husband received 20 percent burns. The two boys were also 20 percent burnt while the infant was 30 per cent burnt.

The burn victims were takem to the Holy Family Hospital where they were said to be in stable condition.

Preliminary police investigation revealed that gas started leaking in the house sometime during night after the gas was restored following load shedding.

Published in Dawn, December 26th, 2014