RAWALPINDI, Jan 12: The huge explosion in a truck carrying firecrackers at Ganjmandi on December 27, which claimed eight lives, was mainly due to the presence of cigarette lighters packed with the explosive material , says a report prepared by Bomb Disposal Squad.

The report was submitted to the additional district and sessions judge, Shaukat Ali Sajid, here on Monday. As many as 10 people were injured and three vehicles damaged in the explosion which took place while the truck was being unloaded at Al Qamar Flour Mills.

According to the report, a large number of Chinese-made lighters, containing patrol fuel, had been loaded on the truck along with firecrackers and sacks of wheat.

About the immediate cause of the fatal incident, the report said the truck carrying the low-intensity explosives touched a 12KW electric transformer while it was being reversed. It led to a spark which set the firecrackers and lighters on fire, resulting into a big explosion.

Meanwhile, the same court has granted bails to four owners of Al Qamar Flour Mills after hearing the arguments of the prosecution and defence counsels. Those granted bails are Javaid, Athar, Saeed and Tanveer.

The defence counsels, Qausain Faisal Mufti and Sardar Mohammad Ishaaq Khan, had contended that the owners were not responsible for the blast as they had rented out the flour mills building to another person, Bashir, who was also killed in the explosion. The defence counsel also presented the receipts of the rent regularly paid to the owners as well as an affidavit signed by Bashir in this regard.

Earlier, the judge had asked the defence counsels to explain whether the case fell in the jurisdiction of the special anti- terrorism court (ATC) or not since the incident involved explosive material.