KARACHI: Seven members of a family suffered burn wounds in a gas explosion due to leakage in Orangi Town on Monday.

The Iqbal Market police said a fire erupted in a house near Quba Masjid, Orangi Town No.11, due to a gas leakage. As a result, seven members of the family received burn injuries. They were shifted to the Burns Centre of Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital.

The injured were identified as Riaz Ameeruddin, 50, his wife Husn Ara, 50, and their five children namely Ali Raza, 26, Anas, 16, Awais, 14, Alizay, 22 and Areeba, 14. Condition of Riaz and his two sons, Ali Raza and Anas, was serious as they suffered burn wounds between 40pc to 80pc, said the police.

Area residents told reporters that there was a general complaint about the leakage of the gas in the locality, but concerned authorities failed to rectify the problem.

Man held for impersonating army officer

The Darakhshan police on Monday claimed to have arrested a man impersonating as a brigadier and his five aides on charges of extortion.

“Police have busted a gang comprising six members, led by a fake brigadier, who were defaming Pakistan Army by collecting extortion from people, including government servants,” said a police spokesperson.

The gang had been involved in looting citizens in the name of the army and the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), added the spokesperson.

Recently, the fake brigadier presented himself as the NAB director general and demanded money from a director of the government department.

“The held suspects have so far extorted Rs1.5 million from him,” the statement said, adding that the said director approached the police to that effect.

The police arrested the six suspects, who were identified as Syed Sajjad Ali, Majid Ali, Mohammed Mansoor, Mohammed Arsalan, Baber Ali and Mohammed Awais.

Some accomplices of the held suspects were operating from Dubai, they added.

Published in Dawn, November 1st, 2022