An explosion at a chemicals factory located on Wandala Road in the Ferozewala area killed two small children and injured six people, including two women, on Friday.
As per details, a varnish factory on Wandala Road caught fire at 11am in the morning. The fire engulfed the chemical drums inside the factory resulting in a big explosion. The blast not only blew up the two-storey factory building but it also pulled down three neighbouring houses burying its occupants under their debris. Rescue 1122 and Edhi officials pulled out five-year-old Shamzay, her three-year-old brother Shams, their mother Iffat, another woman Nasreen and four labourers identified as Shahid. Usman, Ahmed Naveed and an unidentified young man and rushed them to Mayo Hospital where doctors pronounced Shamzay dead. Later Shams also died. Their mother Iffat and Nasreen were reported to be in critical condition. Factory owner Azeem fled after the explosion.
Sheikhupura District Coordination officer (DCO) Ibrar Mirza and District Police Officer (DPO) Rana Shahid reached the scene immediately after the incident.
Children’s grandfatherAhmed Ali told reporter that Iffat was preparing a meal when he left the house to buy some groceries from a shop. He said that he had hardly travelled a 100 yards when the explosion took place and he saw his hose collapsing. He said that he did not know who to blame.
Rani, Zeenat and Liaqat, whose houses were also damaged, said they did not know who would compensate for their losses. They said Azeem’s house did not collapse as a result of the explosion although he lived at back of the factory. Local residents blamed the authorities for the incident. They said that they had made a litany of complaints to the authorities about the factories in the residential, but to no avail. They said they also requested Azeem to shift his factory to some other place but he turned a deaf ear.
DCO Ibrar Mirza said that although though they have taking action against illegal factories, they have not been able to close all such illegal factories.
DPO Sheikhupura Rana Shahid said the police would soon arrest Azeem.
