Daily Times

At least seven people were killed and 14 others were injured on Saturday when a vehicle’s gas cylinder exploded near the Government College of Commerce in the Bhalwal tehsil of Punjab’s Sargodha district, rescue officials said.

According to a statement issued by Rescue 1122 Control Room, seven people were killed on the spot while 14 others were injured, out of which seven were seriously injured and shifted to the Bhalwal Tehsil Headquarters (THQ) Hospital. The bodies, out of which five could not be identified, were also shifted to the same hospital. The statement said that Rescue 1122 had received a call alerting about the incident at 8:35am, and their response time to it was in seven minutes, with nine ambulances, three fire-fighting vehicles and a rescue vehicle dispatched to the site.

It added that the call had informed Resue 1122 about a fire erupting in a Hiace vehicle of Gara Brothers’ Transport due to gas leakage from its Liquified Petroleum Gas cylinder. The injured who were taken to the hospital include two children – aged four and 12 – as well as two 50-year-olds. Following the incident, caretaker Chief Minister Punjab, Mohsin Naqvi, extended sympathies and condolences to the victims’ families. He directed a comprehensive investigation into the van fire, seeking a detailed report from the Commissioner and RPO (Regional Police Officer) Sargodha.

Moreover, he instructed the relevant authorities to ensure that the injured individuals receive the highest quality of medical care. Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party President Abdul Aleem Khan also extended condolences over the loss of lives in the accident. He prayed for the forgiveness of the victims and speedy recovery of the injured.