RAWALPINDI: Four people were injured in an explosion apparently caused by gas leak in a building in Shamasabad on Wednesday.

The explosion occurred in a hostel at about 1:15am, according to fire department and police. The explosion seemed to be caused by gas leak, police and rescuers said.

Walls of the hostel collapsed and windowpanes were smashed by the explosion. Eye witnesses said that the fire erupted on the second floor of the building due to explosion. Doors and walls were broken on the second floor of the building and windowpanes on the third floor of the building.

Four people, Hadayat Hussain, 30, Hamza Gulzar, 19, Mohammad Majid, 30 and Hassan Javaid 21 were shifted to the Holy Family Hospital. Two of them had more than 65 per cent burns.

Police investigating officer told Dawn that the explosion followed by fire was caused by a gas leak in an apartment where four people were residing.

“Probably, one of them showed a match stick to a cigarette which caused the explosion as the room was filled with gas,” the IO said adding that none of the injured victims was able to record his statement as they were critically burnt.

He said soon after the explosion, police team and rescuers reached the scene and shifted the victims to the HFH.

Police ruled out sabotage saying it was a gas leak explosion.

Published in Dawn, June 21st, 2018