Almost a month before the tragic cylinder blast in DHA Z block on February 23, a post made on an unofficial Facebook group made for DHA residents by a resident of the housing society had warned against the possibility of such an incident in the exact same place where yesterday’s incident occurred.
The tragic blast that claimed the lives of at least 10 people while injuring 3 times as many was originally suspected of being a terror attack due to the recent influx in terrorist activities all over the country. However it was later discovered that the deadly blast was caused by a number of gas cylinders stored in the basement of an under-construction building.
While the entire country made a collective sigh of relief at it not being another terror attack, questions were raised immediately regarding how such an incident occurred in the first place, especially in a posh locality like DHA.
On 11 January, Arsalan S Rasheed had made a post in an unofficial facebook group for DHA residents. The post showed a number of gas cylinders in front of restaurant in the exact same area where the blast occurred. The cylinders were underneath a working transformer, and Arsalan had pointed out the dangers of placing the cylinders so recklessly.
While the owner of the restaurant in front of which the cylinders were placed clarified that the cylinders were empty and had only been place outside to be taken away for refiling, Arsalan had a different tale to tell.
Talking to Pakistan Today, he said he had seen many full cylinders in the same market area outside numerous restaurants placed as carelessly and that the blast shows negligence of part of the authorities at implementing their bylaws. He also said that he had complained a number of times to the guards in the area and that the DHA security teams should have noticed the cylinders as they regularly patrol the area.
It is important to note that the blast site was a stone’s throw away from where the cylinders in Arsalan’s picture were placed, and that the construction site was even on the same side of the road as the 6 pictured cylinders.
DHA officials, talking to Pakistan Today, said they had very stringent measures, especially for their commercial areas and that restaurants had to gain NOCs if they wanted to have cylinders, and that a clear 8-foot veranda has to be set aside outside all buildings. They also said that the building, security and management departments were the ones that looked after the implementation of these rules.
However the ‘near clairvoyant’ act by Arsalan has become documented proof as to the inaction and negligence of the DHA which has resulted in yesterday’s horrific incident. And there has been no move by either DHA or the government to try and move towards ensuring the implementation of preventive measures to wipe out the chances for any such tragedy in the future.