TAXILA: The death toll from Friday’s gas leak explosion in Pindigheb rose to five after another critically injured victim succumbed to burn injuries during treatmenton Saturday, sources confirmed.

Mohammad Dilawar, 17, who had sustained severe burns in the blast, died while undergoing treatment at the burn centre of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) in Islamabad.

The tragic incident occurred late on Thursdaynight in a densely populated residential area near the Fauji Foundation Hospital, when a suspected gas leak in awarehousetriggered a powerful explosion. As a result the concrete roof of the room collapsed, trapping six young men beneath the rubble.

Rescue teams from Rescue 1122 rushed to the scene shortly after the incident was reported and launched an extensive rescue operation to retrieve those trapped under the debris.

During the initial phase of the operation, rescuers pulled out several victims from the collapsed structure and shifted them to the Tehsil Headquarters (THQ) Hospital. Four of the victims were later confirmed dead, while two others were critically injured and referred to hospitals in Rawalpindi before being transferred to the burn centre at PIMS due to the severity of their injuries.The victims who had earlier lost their lives were identified as Muhammad Shazal Rizvi, Muhammad Huzaifa Bhatti, Saifullah and Zilhad.

The hospital sources had earlier stated that both injured victims had suffered third-degree burns, with the condition of one of them described as critical. Mohammad Dilawar’s death has now raised the number of fatalities to five, while the second injured youth remains under treatment.

Meanwhile, Sardar Saleem Haider Khan visited Pindigheb on Saturday and offered condolences to the families of the victims who lost their lives in the incident.

During the visit, the governor went to the residences of the deceased and offered Fateha for the departed souls.

He expressed heartfelt sympathy with the bereaved families and prayed for the elevation of the ranks of the deceased and for patience and strength for their relatives.

The governor spent some time with the affected families, sharing their grief and assuring them that the government stood with them in this difficult time.

He termed the incident a tragic loss and prayed that the bereaved parents and family members be granted fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.

Referring to the deaths in the explosion, the governor described the incident as a major tragedy for the community and expressed profound sorrow over the loss of young lives.

He reiterated that the government shared the grief of the affected families and would continue to stand by them in their hour of need.

Published in Dawn, March 8th, 2026