Islamabad, February 19 – At least 13 people, including women and children, were killed and 13 others were injured after a suspected gas explosion caused a residential building to collapse in the Soldier Bazaar area of Karachi, Pakistan, local media reported on Thursday, citing rescue services.
The incident occurred at a house in the Gul Raza Colony of Karachi's Soldier Bazaar area. The injured and deceased were taken to the Civil Hospital, Pakistan's leading daily, Dawn, reported.
A spokesperson for the East District police said, "According to initial reports, the explosion occurred due to a gas leak, resulting in part of the building collapsing."
Rescue 1122 stated that search and rescue operations are underway, with an urban search and rescue team and a disaster response vehicle present at the site of the incident. The police spokesperson further stated that law enforcement personnel and rescue teams reached the site after they received information about the incident.
According to officials, the police have cordoned off the area, and rescue teams have launched a search and rescue operation.
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah took notice of the incident and ordered relevant authorities to immediately rescue people trapped under the debris and provide the best possible medical assistance to the injured, according to a statement released by the CM House.
He directed the Karachi commissioner to investigate the cause of the incident.
Earlier on January 17, a massive fire broke out at a shopping mall in Karachi, claiming the lives of at least 80 people, and several remained missing.
The fire broke out at the Gul Plaza shopping centre on Muhammad Ali Jinnah Road, spreading rapidly through the multi-story commercial building, claiming several lives and injuring many, causing extensive damage.
In August last year, four members of the Awami National Party (ANP) were injured after a gas explosion caused the collapse of their office in Orangi town, Dawn reported.
In July last year, at least 27 people were killed and 10 others were injured after a five-story building collapsed in the Lyari area of Karachi. The authorities had already declared the building uninhabitable due to its dilapidated structure. At the time, a statement released by the Sindh Building Control Authority stated that 588 buildings had been declared dangerous in Karachi.
