• Ground-plus-three-storey structure was built on 40-sq-yds plot in Gul Rana Colony
• BDS official rules out sabotage, cites gas leakage
• Rescuers pull survivors from rubble; most victims said to belong to same family
KARACHI: Fifteen persons, including women and children, were killed and 18 others were injured in a gas leakage explosion that destroyed a ground-plus-three-storey building spread over 40 square yards in the locality of Soldier Bazaar early on Thursday morning, officials said.
The incident occurred at a residence in the Gul Rana Colony area of Soldier Bazaar. The injured and the deceased were shifted to the Civil Hospital Karachi (CHK).
The executive director of the Trauma Centre at the CHK told Dawn that a total of 18 injured persons, including women and children, were brought there for treatment.
Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Jamshed Asher said the incident occurred at around 4:15am during Sehri, and that the gas explosion took place on the building’s first floor.
Deputy Commissioner East Nasrullah Abbasi told Dawn that the explosion occurred at the time of Sehri in a building located in Gul Rana Colony.
He said it was a highly congested locality where a ground-plus-three-storey building had been constructed on 40-45 square yards.
The impact of the blast destroyed the entire building, killing 15 persons, including women and children, he added.
He said that had the building been constructed with reinforced cement concrete (RCC), there might not have been such extensive loss of life.
Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) official Abid Farooq told Dawn that the gas explosion took place at around 4am. He ruled out the possibility of any sabotage.
He said it was a gas leakage explosion. There were pipes filled with gas, and when someone lit a match, it triggered the blast.
Mr Farooq said the gas fittings in the kitchen on the first floor, where the blast occurred, were in poor condition, while plastic pipes had been installed throughout for the supply of gas. A gas-suction machine was also installed there.
He added that it was a precast building, covered on all four sides and located in a very narrow street.
Quoting residents, he said there had been no gas supply in the area for several days and that the supply suddenly increased on Wednesday night.
Rescue 1122 spokesperson Hassaan Ul Haseeb Khan told Dawn that they received information about a “cylinder blast” at around 3:57am on Thursday.
He said when their rescue teams arrived at the spot, they realised it was a gas leakage explosion.
He said one man, who suffered burn injuries, told the rescue workers that he woke up to prepare tea for Sehri and when he lit a match, the blast occurred.
Mr Khan said all residents on the three floors were buried under the debris as the building was already in a “dilapidated” condition.
He said Gul Rana Colony was spread over only two streets in the historic Soldier Bazaar area, with no access for vehicles.
He said the rescue teams heard screams of children and women from beneath the debris. Therefore, they avoided using heavy machinery and carried out the rescue operation manually.
He said the workers scaled adjoining structures from another street to launch the search operation. Initially, around eight people were rescued. Since bodies were not visible in the debris, they used locators and manually removed the rubble.
Mohammed Azeem Khan of the Edhi Foundation said almost all the victims belonged to the same family.
Police Surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed confirmed that a total of 15 persons were brought dead to the CHK.
She said most of the deaths occurred due to head injuries. “Some victims were brought with crush injuries while others had multiple wounds,” she stated.
Meanwhile, Rescue 1122 Chief Operating Officer Dr Abid Jalaluddin Shaikh told the media at the site that the explosion took place due to gas leakage.
He said they faced difficulties because of the congested locality. He said it might not be a “legal” building, as there was a small room on each floor.
East-Zone DIG Dr Farrukh Lanjar told the media that during the initial probe, it transpired that the gas leakage had caused the explosion.
He said they were probing the incident and that legal action would be taken in light of the reports of the experts concerned.
He said the relevant institutions would be in a better position to ascertain whether the building was “legal”.
Soldier Bazaar SHO Rizwan Patel told Dawn that no FIR had been registered so far. He said legal proceedings would be initiated under the directions of higher authorities.
CM takes notice, orders inquiry
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah took notice of the incident and expressed sorrow and grief over the loss of lives, an official statement said.
It added that the CM directed the relevant authorities to immediately rescue people trapped under the debris and provide the victims with the best possible medical assistance.
He also ordered that all possible support be provided to the affected families and instructed the Karachi commissioner to investigate the cause of the incident.
Published in Dawn, February 20th, 2026
