Daily Times

At least six people lost their lives while another 10 were injured on Sunday after a three-storey building located on the Grand Trunk Road in Punjab’s Jhelum collapsed due to a gas cylinder explosion, officials said.

Jhelum Deputy Commissioner Samiullah Farooq told media that six people were confirmed dead while 10 injured were recovered so far and admitted to hospitals for treatment.

“[Rescue] efforts are under way and our teams are present here. There are reports that four to five people could be underneath the rubble,” he said, adding that the rescue operation would continue till the last trapped person was reached and the whole site was cleared.

Earlier, Additional Deputy Commissioner (Revenue) Hassan Tariq told Dawn.com that the explosion took place at around 9:45am today, following which the rescue teams “immediately responded and initiated rescue efforts”.

Tariq added that all senior doctors and staff were present at the Jhelum District Headquarters Hospital where the injured were being provided treatment while one seriously injured patient
was referred to the Holy Family Hospital in Rawalpindi.

In a tweet, the Jhelum police said District Police Officer Nasir Mehmood Bajwa was supervising the rescue efforts while heavy machinery was being used to remove the debris.

An “emergency” was imposed in the District Headquarters Hospital and the entire staff and doctors have been called on duty. A day ago, at least seven people were killed and 14 others were injured when a vehicle’s gas cylinder exploded in the Bhalwal tehsil of Punjab’s Sargodha district. Last month, at least five, including three children, were killed and seven others were injured in three separate gas cylinder explosions across the country.