3 dead, 13 wounded as gas cylinder blast causes building collapse in Karachi’s Machhar Colony: officials

At least three people died while 13 others were wounded on Monday after a residential building located in Karachi’s Machhar Colony collapsed due to a gas cylinder explosion, police and rescue officials said.

Police Surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed confirmed the casualties and injuries to Dawn.com. She said the condition of four wounded persons was critical.

Separately, the police said the deceased were aged between 30 and 50 years while the injured persons included children aged three and six. The bodies and wounded people have been moved to the Civil Hospital.

According to a statement issued by the Keamari Police, the explosion occurred inside a gas cylinder shop located on the ground floor of a residential building near Bait-ul-Mukarram Masjid.

Rescue teams and police personnel have reached the spot and a rescue operation is underway, it said, adding that there were reports of several people stuck under the rubble.

Footage aired on television showed ambulances making their way through crammed lanes to reach the blast site.

In October, two persons were injured in a huge explosion that occurred inside a pizza joint in Gulshan-i-Iqbal. The police had blamed the accumulation of cooking gas for the explosion.