KARACHI: A minor girl died and five family members were seriously injured in a gas cylinder explosion in their car in the Quaidabad area on Tuesday morning, officials said.

Rescue-1122 spokesperson Hassaan Ul Haseeb Khan told Dawn that the family had stopped at a roadside shop near Quaidabad’s main roundabout to refill their car’s LPG cylinder.

The officials said the explosion occurred while the filling was underway, causing the car to catch fire and seriously injuring all six occupants, including three minor girls.

The injured were shifted to the Burns Centre of the Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital Karachi where nine-year-old Anaya died during treatment, said Police Surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed.

She said the deceased sustained 80 per cent burns. The condition of other five was also precarious, she added.

The police surgeon said Anabiya, 6, and Jannat, 7, suffered 81pc and 71pc burns, respectively.

Their parents — Ali Abbas, 32, and Ramsha, 30 — and relative Nighat Abbas, 50, also suffered serious burns.

Regarding possible reasons for the explosion, the Rescue-1122 spokesperson said that such explosions generally occur due to the lack of mandatory hydrostatic tests after a certain period.

Another possible reason was that when a cylinder is filled with LPG under pressure, it can trigger an explosion.

He recalled that a similar incident had recently occurred in Shah Faisal Colony with human casualties. He said the question of taking precautionary measures did not arise as these roadside LPG shops were illegal.

Published in Dawn, December 3rd, 2025