GILGIT, Aug 3: A press note regarding the incident of village Gayal Darel, Diamir district, was issued by Northern Areas Home Secretary Saeed Ahmed Khan on Sunday night.

The press note states: “On the night between the 2nd and 3rd of August at 9.30pm, a residential house belonging to one Waris Khan of village Gayal of Darel valley in Diamir district caught fire due to electric short circuit.

Waris Khan was engaged in construction of water channel and for this purpose he had brought some explosive and detonators from NA PWD State. This explosive was kept in a room of his house. When the neighbours of Waris Khan saw the house on fire, they came out to extinguish it. While the people were busy in extinguishing the fire, the explosive and the detonators blasted resulting in death of 44 men, women and children. Three persons are still missing while 64 were injured. All the injured were immediately brought to the DHQ Hospital, Chilas. Out of the 64 injured, 24 in most serious condition were airlifted by an Army helicopter to the DHQ Hospital, Gilgit. The remaining are admitted in the DHQ Hospital, Chilas.

Fourty-four houses have completely been destroyed while over 100 houses are partially damaged. The Northern Areas chief secretary and force commander visited village Gayal, where the explosion took place, to supervise relief operations. They also visited the DHQ hospital, Chilas, and the DHQ hospital, Gilgit.—APP