RAWALPINDI, July 2: Two persons were burnt alive and another was critically injured when a house caught fire after a gas-leak explosion in the jurisdiction of the Airport police on Tuesday.

Ex-armyman Javaid Akhtar, the owner of the house situated at Gharibabad (Chaklala), sustained more than 70 per cent burns.

The deceased were Khalid Mehmood, a cousin of the house owner, and his driver who could not be identified.

The injured was taken to the Benazir Bhutto Hospital by Rescue 1122 from where he was shifted to the Combined Military Hospital.

Inayat Elahi, a resident of the locality, told Dawn that he heard a big explosion and then saw the house in flames.

He said Mr Akhtar’s wife along with his two school-going children were at her parents’ native town of Vihari to spend the summer vacations.

Sher Mohammad, the father of Mr Akhtar, said he was in Kamra when he received a phone call about the incident.

He said he immediately reached Rawalpindi and found his son lying in the hospital.

Khalid Mehmood along with his driver had come to the house to meet Mr Akhtar.

The explosion occurred when Mr Mehmood walked into the kitchen and showed a match to the stove to prepare tea. Mr Akhtar rushed to his rescue but was also trapped in the flames. The driver was in the bathroom when the house caught fire.

“The two victims were charred beyond recognition while the other sustained critical burns,” said Waqas Ahmed, a Rescue 1122 staff member.

Aziz Aslam, the station house officer (SHO) of Airport, told Dawn that Mr Akhtar had gone to his native town of Mianwali after locking his house about a week back.

On Tuesday, he along his cousin Khalid Mehmood, who was also associated with the army, came back to the house.

“The house had no proper ventilation which caused the explosion. Due to the fire, the gas cylinder fixed in a car parked in the porch of the house also exploded, sparking panic in the area,” said the SHO.