RAWALPINDI: A man was killed and two others were injured after a compressed natural gas (CNG) cylinder exploded at a gas station on Rawal Road near Nur Khan Airbase on Wednesday, police said.

The explosion occurred when a private vehicle owner, later identified as Mohammad Mohsin from Faisalabad, was getting his car filled with CNG at the Total Gas Station around 2:45pm.

The explosion, which also damaged two other vehicles and the gas station’s building, caused widespread panic in the surrounding neighbourhood. The damage was extensive, spewing glass shards all over the compound of the gas station.

As a result of the incident, the owner of the unfortunate vehicle was killed on the spot, while Mohammad Safeer, an employee of the gas station, and Mukhtar Ahmed, a taxi driver, were injured critically.

The local police, along with bomb disposal experts and counter terrorism officials, reached the scene immediately and collected the evidence from the debris.

Initially, the incident was presumed to be a bomb explosion, however, the bomb disposal experts identified the gas cylinder as the cause since no evidence of explosive material was found.

Mukhtar Ahmed, 45, who was badly injured, was transferred to Benazir Bhutto Hospital where he is stated to be in critical condition. One of Mukhtar’s relatives told Dawn that the victim was waiting for his turn at the filling station when the explosion occurred.

Gas cylinders of poor standards are often used in vehicles that lead to such explosions, risking many lives. However, the authorities concerned have failed to keep a check on the gas cylinder fitness certificates.

The Supreme Court has already directed the Punjab government to constitute a special team in each district of the province to check the fitness of the gas cylinders and kits; however such incidents continue to occur.