RAWALPINDI: Two children were burned alive while nine other people were injured in four separate incidents of gas cylinder explosions in the garrison city on Tuesday.

The first incident happened in Bhabra Bazar, where a gas leak explosion took place in the house of Banaras whenhis wife, Ms Reema, lit a matchstick to turn on the gas stove. As a result, seven-month-old Arham and three-year-old Ayat, daughter of Banaras, were burned alive after being trapped in the fire.

Ms Reema, 28, mother of the deceased children, sustained 50 percent burn injuries on her arms, hands, feet, legs, and face. She was shifted to the Benazir Bhutto Hospital in critical condition by the Rescue 1122 crew members. The dead were shifted to the District Headquarters Hospital for a postmortem.

The second incident happened at Tipu Road, where five people were injured after being trapped in the fire that erupted in their house due to a gas leak explosion on Tuesday.

As a result, Intizar, 45, sustained 15 per cent burns. Amreen Intizar, 19, sustained 20pc burn injuries; Ms. Parveen, 45, wife of Intizar, was 65pc burned; and his daughter, Abiha, 16, sustained minor burns. Faiz Deen, 45, also sustained minor injuries in the fire. The burn victims were shifted to the District Headquarters Hospital.

In another similar incident, three people were injured after being trapped in the fire that erupted in the house of Waqar Ismail near Girja Road on Tuesday.

As a result, Shahzaib Waqar, 18, his three-year-old daughter Noor Waqar, and Sobia Waqar,wife of Waqar, 30, were injured in the fire. The injured were shifted to the District Headquarters Hospital.

All the victims were shifted to hospitals by the Rescue 1122 staff. The spokesman for the emergency services said that they should immediately call the emergency services whenever a gas leak is observed.

Published in Dawn, March 13th, 2024