KARACHI: A 15-year-old boy lost his life while four people were injured after a fire erupted following an explosion in at a residential building in Karachi’s North Nazimabad area in the early hours of Sunday, according to police and rescue officials.
Rescue-1122 spokesperson Hassaan Ul Haseeb Khan told Dawn that the explosion took place on the top floor of Bismillah Residency near Hyderi Market in Block-E of North Nazimabad at Sehri time.
The sound of the explosion was heard miles away.
He said that two flats caught fire as a result of the explosion, leading to the death of a 15-year-old, while another four people were injured.
As per the spokesperson, the fire was brought under control, and the team had completed cooling operations.
Earlier, the spokesperson said that four fire tenders were being employed to extinguish the fire, while a snorkel had also been called. He added that the exact nature of the explosion would be ascertained after the fire was brought under control, but said that it could be a gas-related explosion.
Meanwhile, an Edhi Foundation spokesperson in a statement said the injured also included a 70-year-old man and a four-year-old girl. The injured sustained serious burn injuries and were rushed to the burns centre of Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital Karachi.
Police Surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed told Dawn one of the injured suffered 95 per cent burns, while another suffered 81pc burns.
The four-year-old girl suffered 31pc burns, Syed added.
Central District police also issued a statement, saying that after receiving information about the incident, police immediately rushed to the spot and called the rescue and fire brigade services.
The statement added that evidence was being collected to ascertain the cause of the explosion.
In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Sindh Governor Kamran Khan Tessori expressed his concern over the incident.
He directed the authorities to prioritise saving lives and to secure the surroundings of the affected building.
The incident comes days after at least 15 people, including women and children, were killed, and 18 others were injured after a gas explosion caused part of a residential building to collapse in Karachi’s Soldier Bazaar area.
The incident occurred at a residence in the Gul Rana Colony area of Soldier Bazaar.
