KARACHI, Oct 12: The death toll in the Oct 6 firecracker explosion in Korangi went up to 12 with another injured person succumbing to his wounds at the Civil Hospital on Friday.

A total of 25 persons were injured when a truck carrying stocks of firecrackers caught fire while passing through a locality of Korangi. Reports said that a firecracker set off by a jubilant political worker near the moving truck fell onto the truck and caused an explosion and soon the truck was up in flames. Most of the victims had sustained serious burn injuries and nine of them died soon after the incident.

Nauman, 8, and Sabir, 14, died the next day while receiving treatment in the CHK’s Burns Centre.

On Friday, another victim, Siraj, 35, a resident of Korangi K Area, succumbed to his injuries.

Hospital sources said several of the injured people were not out of danger as they had sustained serious burn injuries. They said that 13 victims, including four children, had been admitted to the CHK with serious burns.

“We still have six patients in precarious condition as they have sustained above 50 per cent burns,” said an official at the Burns Center.

It was reported that the truck (JE-1981) was being led by Muttahida Qaumi Movement workers to a particular place at Sea View where they had intended to use the firecrackers to celebrate the unofficial victory of Gen Pervez Musharraf in the presidential election.

“Most of the victims had got upper parts of their bodies burnt,” said the official, adding that scalps of some of the victims had burnt almost completely. “We have all the required equipment and facilities at our disposal and are trying out best to save their lives,” he said.

It was also reported that nearly all the victims were residents of Korangi and participants of the MQM procession on way to the Sea View.

Police have not registered an FIR of the incident as yet. The Korangi police maintained that no one had turned up to lodge an FIR. Nor had the police registered the FIR on their own, an official of the Korangi police added.

He argued that “the Section 435 PPC says that those suspected to have been involved in mischief by fire or explosive substance be booked whereas the Section 436 PPC says that those suspected of being involved in mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to destroy be booked.”