‘Gas cylinder blast’ kills 10. Injures 40

• DIG Operations asks citizens to get updates from Lahore Police’s official social media page

HASSAAN AHMED/RANA HAIDER

The provincial metropolitan was once again gripped with horror and fear on Thursday after an explosion took place in an under-construction building of the Z Bloc area of the Defence Housing Authority (DHA).

The surroundings of the area were reverberated with powerful sound of the explosion in which eight people lost their lives while over 40 got injured. The cause of the explosion that took place around 11.15am in the morning could not be ascertained till the evening as different reports were circulating in the media.

The blast was so powerful that windowpanes of the nearby buildings were broken while some vehicles parked in the area also got damaged. Emergency was declared in city’s hospitals and rescue workers shifted the injured persons to the National Hospital Defence, DHA Complex, General Hospital, Jinnah Hospital and Adil Hospital.

The rescue officials told Pakistan Today that maximum injured were shifted to the General Hospital as it received 18 injured while seven dead bodies were also shifted in the hospital. DHA Complex received five injured while 13 injured were shifted to the National Defence Hospital.

After surfacing three versions regarding the cause of the explosion, the police decided to launch the report as an accident. It was stated by the authorities at the earlier stage that a generator was exploded and then it was circulated that explosive material was used in the blast. Finally, the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) confirmed that the explosive took place due to the cylinders present in the building.

Muhammad Hafeez, an injured recorded his statement to the police officials claimed that the gas cylinders caused the dreadful explosion in the under-construction building. “The under-construction plaza was owned by Moazzam Paracha and 10 gas cylinders were brought there yesterday while five more reached at the site today. I was on the first floor of the plaza when I realised a gas leakage in the building before the powerful blast,” he said.

Paracha, among the dead, was serving as the chief executive officer (CEO) of the Airlink Communications. According to Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Operations Dr Haider Ashraf, the report of the accidental incident has been launched after consulting all the departments concerned and they all agreed on the point that it was an accident.

It may be mentioned here that Law Minister Rana Sanaullah said in the noon that the explosion took place due to a chemical material. Soon after the explosion, the news of more blasts went viral on the social media creating panic among citizens. The news of bomb blast in Main Boulevard created fear among the citizens and it appeared as fake when the police officials denied.

Heavy contingency of the army and the paramilitary forces launched a rigorous search operation in Gulberg and adjacent areas. Ali Hasan, who works at a private firm in Gulberg, told Pakistan Today that all the staff of his office vacated the area soon after the news of the blast went viral on the media. “There was a traffic mess near the Home Economics College as everyone wanted to reach home soon after hearing the news of blast,” he said.

Dr Haider Ashraf said that Lahore police was trying hard to ensure law and order in the city and more police officials were also deployed throughout the city. “It is my appeal to the citizens to ignore the fake news of any blast and they must visit the official social media page of the Lahore Police to get the updates regarding the situation of the law and order.

Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif also chaired a high-level meeting and he was presented the initial report of the incident. He also directed the authorities to ensure the security of the citizens. The meeting was attended by the law minister, IGP Mushtaq Sukhera and Counter-Terrorism minister Sardar Ayub while home secretary and chief secretary were also present on the occasion.