At least 40 people were injured when an oil tanker exploded after catching fire in Balochistan’s Noshki district on Monday, officials said.

“The oil tanker was parked at a truck depot when it caught fire, injuring at least 40 people,” Noshki Deputy Commissioner (DC) Amjad Soomro told Dawn.com, adding that the fire was caused by welding work on the tanker.

“The fire brigade was trying to control the fire when the truck exploded,” DC Soomro said, adding that fire brigade personnel were seriously injured as a result.

He said that four police personnel present a the scene to move citizens away were also injured, while those near the oil tanker suffered 70 to 80 per cent burns.

“Those with severe burns will be shifted to Quetta via helicopter,” DC Soomro said.

Speaking to the media later, DC Soomro said, “The fuel tank of the tanker caught fire due to a short circuit and exploded, consequently engulfing people standing around the tanker.

Soomro said that 28 of the injured were undergoing treatment, while more than 10 people with minor injuries were discharged after receiving treatment.

“Twenty-three people with serious injuries have been moved to Quetta, where an emergency has been declared,” he said

In a statement, Balochistan Government Spokesperson Shahid Rind noted that over 30 people were burned in the incident.

“The fire was so intense it engulfed the fire brigade vehicle present at the scene,” Rind was quoted as saying. “There are reports of more than 30 people being burned in the accident.

“The injured are being shifted to the Civil Hospital and BMC (Bolan Medical College) after [receiving] first aid,” he said, adding that an emergency had been declared in hospitals.

“The incident is unfortunate … investigations are being conducted,” Rind was quoted as saying.

Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti expressed sorrow over the incident and directed officials to speed up relief activities.

He said that the injured should be provided with immediate and quality medical facilities, stating that the provincial health minister was effectively supervising all stages of the treatment of the injured.

“A complete and transparent investigation into the Nushki incident has been ordered,” Bugti said.

The CM directed to take immediate and comprehensive steps to prevent such tragedies in the future.

“All possible assistance and guidance should be provided to the injured and the attendants,” he said, adding that the government would not leave the victims alone.

Oil tanker explosions frequently result from high-impact collisions. Beyond crashes, explosions can stem from defective fuel tanks, overloaded tanks, faulty muffler systems sparking fires, or various other issues. Given that tankers transport highly flammable or hazardous materials, accidents are not unexpected.

Last year, a man was killed while five others were injured in an oil tanker explosion in Karachi’s Shireen Jinnah Colony near the terminals of the 20-bus route. Police said some workers were welding under the oil tanker, which was empty of oil, but some gases had accumulated in it, leading to the explosion.

In 2017, 212 people were killed when a tanker carrying 40,000 litres of fuel overturned after trying to make a sharp turn while travelling from Karachi to Lahore on the main highway. The incident occurred when hundreds of residents of a nearby village gathered at the site of the overturned oil tanker to collect the leaking fuel.

According to initial investigations, a cigarette was suspected to have caused the massive blaze that engulfed the people collecting the spilled fuel.