At least six workers died while one sustained burn injuries after a boiler exploded inside a factory in Karachi on Wednesday within the limits of Shah Latif Town police station, according to police and hospital officials.

Police said that the boiler blast occurred in Honda Atlas factory near Landhi Manzil Pump. As a result, seven workers received burn injuries.

The injured were shifted to Burns Centre of Karachi's Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital where Shah Zaman, 34, Muhammad Saleem, 35, Imran, 30, Khalid, 33, Aamir Sufi, 35, and Inayat, 25 succumbed to wounds during treatment, said Additional Police Surgeon Dr Qarar Ahmed Abbasi.

The victims who lost their lives had all received 100 per cent burns, added Abbasi, while further revealing that Faheem, the only survivor has received 10 per cent burn wounds.

Area SHO Ghanwar Ali Mahar said that no case has been registered so far.

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah took notice of the incident and sought a report from the city commissioner and the secretary of the Labour Department.

Expressing grief at the tragedy, CM Shah ordered an investigation into the reasons behind the boiler's explosion and asked when the last inspection had taken place on the factory premises.

He instructed the commissioner to provide every possible assistance to the families of the victims and asserted that no effort must be spared to save the life of the injured labourer.

Karachi East Zone DIG Amir Farooqi told Dawn that initial probe revealed that the explosion occurred due to gas leakage. He pointed out that initially the factory management themselves tried to control the fire and later on called the fire tenders.

DIG Farooqi vowed that a case would be registered against the factory owners over ‘accidental deaths’ of the workers.