Pakistan: 6 dead, 10 injured in gas cylinder explosion in Jhelum

Jhelum [Pakistan], July 9 : Atleast six people died and 10 others were injured after a three-storey building collapsed due to a gas cylinder explosion on the Grand Trunk Road in Jhelum on Sunday, Dawn reported.

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

"[Rescue] efforts are underway and our teams are present here. There are reports that four to five people could be underneath the rubble," he added.

Moreover, Farooq said that the rescue operation would continue till the last trapped person was reached and the whole site was cleared, according to Dawn.

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

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, Tariq further said.

The Jhelum police said in a tweet that District Police Officer (DPO) Nasir Mehmood Bajwa was supervising the rescue efforts while heavy machinery was being used to remove the debris.

On Saturday, at least seven people have been killed and 14 others were wounded after a gas cylinder exploded in a vehicle in Bhalwal tehsil of Punjab's Sargodha district in Pakistan.

The injured people include two children aged four years and 12 years and two 50-year-old people. Rescue 1122 said that they received a call alert about the incident at 8:35 am (local time). Nine ambulances, three firefighting vehicles and a rescue vehicle were dispatched to the site of the incident.