RAWALPINDI: At least 13 people including women and children were injured in a gas cylinder explosion in Faisal Colony in Airport police area in Rawalpindi, police said on Saturday.

According to initial reports, the incident occurred late on Friday night around 10:30 pm when the residents were busy shifting the house.

Locals said the police couldn’t reach the site of the explosion for almost half an hour and neighbours shifted the injured to the hospital on a self-help basis.

Initially, the injured were shifted to the Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH) and subsequently, they were transferred to the Holy Family Hospital as the BBH did not have a burns unit.

Later, the critically injured were shifted to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) Hospital in Islamabad, but later they were brought back to HFH, they said.

A member of the family told the police in her statement that the incident occurred when they were busy shifting the household items to a nearby house.

She said that her father lit a match stick near the gas cylinder, apparently to check a leakage, which ignited a powerful explosion, shattering windows and doors of the house and causing a fire.

She further said that her father was critically burnt, while her mother, cousins, her younger sister and three friends of his brother who were there to help them with the shifting also sustained burn injuries.

Following the explosion, panic and fear gripped the area and residents came out of their homes.

A local told Dawn that the explosion was so enormous that it destroyed doors, windows and household items.

The police apparently remained unaware of the incident and the scene of the explosion for more than half an hour despite receiving emergency calls, locals said.

When the relevant station house officer (SHO) and Rescue 1122 personnel reached the explosion site, the injured had already been shifted to the hospital.

Meanwhile, the Sui Northern Gas Pipeline (SNGPL) has issued an advisory requesting that consumers to take special precautions while using fuel gas – especially in the winter season.

Rawalpindi SNGPL General Manager Umar Hayat said carelessness in the winter season may lead to fatal accidents.

“Therefore, consumers should never use rubber pipes with gas heaters and stoves. Proper ventilation should be ensured in the rooms and kitchen and consumers should ensure that all gas-powered appliances, including stoves, geysers and heaters are turned off properly.”

He urged citizens to contact the nearest office of the gas utility by dialling emergency number 1199 in case of gas leakage.

Published in Dawn, January 12th, 2025