Two dead, eight injured in Karachi's gas cylinder blast

At least two people were killed and eight others were injured after a gas cylinder exploded in Karachi's New Challi area on Tuesday.

As per the details, the blast occurred when a cylinder exploded in a shop located in the generator market which then resulted in a blaze.

The sheer force of the blast caused the goods inside the shop to scatter out on the street.

Rescue teams have reached the incident site and have confirmed one fatality and six injuries in the incident.

Commenting on the incident, SSP City said that the roof of the affected shop collapsed due to the blast and that a search is underway after witnesses said that a person was still buried under the debris.

Furthermore, the police official revealed that the bomb disposal squad has been called for further investigation.

The incident comes as gas cylinders, whether used for commercial purposes or for domestic use, are quite prone to explosions for various reasons such as low quality cylinders, failure to adhere to necessary standard operating procedures (SOPs) while refilling etc.

In December 2023, at least three people were killed and 17 others were wounded after a two-storey building collapsed due to a gas cylinder blast in Karachi's Machar Colony.

The blast took place in a gas cylinder shop during transfer of gas in the shop as a vehicle loaded with gas cylinders came to supply gas.