KHUZDAR: The death toll from a cylinder explosion in Lasbela increased to 13 on Tuesday, rescue officials said.

Around 20 people were injured when a cylinder exploded in a shop, resulting in a huge fire, in Lasbela’s Bela town on Monday, according to Deputy Commissioner Murad Kasi.

The injured were moved to Burns Centre at Karachi’s Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital after suffering severe burn injuries. “Five more people succumbed to injuries on Tuesday afternoon,” the centre’s in charge Dr Robina Bashir told Dawn over the phone.

She added that 13 more people with burn injuries are under treatment, out of which six were in serious condition.

More deaths were feared as the condition of the eight injured persons was stated to be serious.

The police said that the cylinder exploded while being refilled at a filling shop resulting in a fire that engulfed other gas cylinders du­­m­ped in the shop. The fire spread to other shops, destroying at least four of them and around two do­­zen motorbikes parked in the vicinity.

Police said an inquiry has been initiated to fix responsibility for the incident.­

Published in Dawn, December 21st, 2022