At least six people were killed and 10 others injured on Sunday when a three-storey building collapsed due to a gas cylinder explosion in Pakistan's Punjab province, officials said.
The three-storey hotel building located on the Grand Trunk Road in Punjab’s Jhelum collapsed after the cylinder exploded in the kitchen, they said.
Six people were confirmed dead while 10 injured were recovered so far and admitted to hospitals for treatment, Geo News reported, citing Jhelum Deputy Commissioner Samiullah Farooq.
"(Rescue) efforts are underway and our teams are present here. There are reports that four to five people could be underneath the rubble,” he said.
He added that the rescue operation would continue till the whole site was cleared.
Earlier, Dawn reported that the explosion took place at around 9:45 am Sunday, following which the rescue teams “immediately responded and initiated rescue efforts”.
Additional Deputy Commissioner (Revenue) Hassan Tariq said 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, the newspaper reported.
The Jhelum police said heavy machinery was being used to remove the debris.
An emergency has been imposed in the District Headquarters Hospital and the entire staff and doctors have been called on duty.
A day earlier, at least seven people were killed and 14 others injured when a vehicle’s gas cylinder exploded in Punjab’s Sargodha district.
Published 09 July 2023, 15:50 IST