SIALKOT, Feb 5: Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervez Elahi has ordered a high-level inquiry into the blast that claimed 17 lives at Sialkot dryport the other day.

He was talking to newsmen at the dryport in Sambrial on Wednesday afternoon after a visit to the blast site.

He said he had come to know that some people imported banned items and showed those as legal in official records at various dryports.

He said the government would enact all necessary laws to stop this illegal practice, which, he suspected, had resulted in the blast.

He said the government would make new laws besides removing all flaws from the existing ones for curbing heinous crime.

The chief minister condoled with the aggrieved families, besides inquiring after the health of the injured in Sambrial and Sialkot hospitals.

He announced a compensation of Rs100,000 for each of the deceased and Rs50,000 for each of the injured.

Provincial labour minister Syed Akhtar Hussain Rizvi also announced a compensation of Rs100,000 for each of the deceased and Rs50,000 for every injured out of the workers welfare fund.

The provincial minister for industries, Chaudhry Mohammad Ajmal Cheema, also announced a compensation of Rs500,000 for the aggrieved families.

Punjab Governor Khalid Maqbool will visit the blast site on Thursday afternoon.

Meanwhile, the Sambrial police have registered a case against two Lahore-based exporters, Khalil and Shehbaz, in this connection.