HARIPUR: The Hazara commissioner has constituted a committee to probe the Haripur gas pipeline blast, as the eight persons who died in the explosion were laid to rest amid moving scenes in the Kotnajibullah Maira area here on Friday morning.
Officials of the district administration and the police, local government representatives, and factory workers were among those who attended the funeral prayers.
A 16-inch gas supply line exploded on Thursday evening, causing a massive fire near the Hattar Industrial Estate. Eight people, most of them children, died due to heat and suffocation as the fire damaged three houses and a grinding mill.
According to police and rescue sources, 11 people suffered burns. The rescue operation continued for over three hours, and bodies were recovered and shifted to Haripur Trauma Centre and Rural Health Centre, Kotnajibullah.
Muqam announces compensation for families of deceased, injured
The deceased were identified as Reeba Bibi, 7, Aleena Bibi, 18, daughters of Mohammad Arif, Hafeez Ahmed, 15, son of Mohammad Arif, Asma Bibi, 42, wife of Mohammad Arif, Aseeya Bibi, 51, wife of Miskeen, Mubeen Babar, 7, son of Babar Mehmood, Sahil Yasir, 9, and Saim Yasir, 11, sons of Yasir Khan.
Among the 11 injured were five women, three girls and three male adults. One of the injured, who suffered a head injury after falling from the roof of a house while taking part in the rescue operation, was referred to Ayub Medical Complex, Abbottabad, in critical condition, said Dr Munawar Afridi, Medical Superintendent DHQ Hospital, Haripur. The other injured person, who suffered a fracture in his ankle, was admitted to DHQ Hospital.
According to DPO Shafiullah Khan, the FIR of the gas line blast has been registered with the Hattar police station under sections 322, 377 G, 285, 286, 427 and 436 of the Pakistan Penal Code, and an investigation has started.
Meanwhile, the Hazara commissioner has constituted a fact-finding inquiry committee with Haripur deputy commissioner Waseem Ahmed as its chairman.
The committee would submit its report to the commissioner within 24 hours, detailing the cause of the pipeline blast, assigning responsibility, and the extent of harm caused to human life and property.
The first meeting of the probe committee was held on Friday at the office of the deputy commissioner, where the participants discussed the anticipated causes of the blast.
Meanwhile, the federal minister and PML-N provincial president Amir Muqam visited the site of the gas pipeline blast on Friday morning. He was accompanied by the party MNA from Haripur, Babar Nawaz Khan. They visited the families of the blast victims and offered Fateha for the departed souls.
On behalf of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the federal minister announced Rs1 million each for the eight deceased and Rs500,000 for each of the 11 injured persons.
Published in Dawn, April 18th, 2026
