SUKKUR, July 1: A technician was killed and a PAF employee was seriously injured in a powerful explosion at the Shahbaz Airbase in Jacobabad on Monday.

Initial reports said either a gas cylinder or tyre tube of an aircraft had burst which caused the explosion.

The PAF employee, Mazhar Ali, and a unit technician, Abdul Khaliq, were rushed to the local civil hospital in precarious condition following the blast at about 6.30pm. Mr Khaliq succumbed to his injuries later.

The DPO of Jacobabad told Dawn that the cause of the blast could not be established immediately. Airport sources, however, indicated that air was being filled into an aircraft’s tyre at the time the explosion.

A PAF employee revealed on condition of anonymity that the blast was caused by a gas cylinder.

Security around the airport had been tightened and newsmen were not allowed access to the injured PAF employee at civil hospital till late in the night.