In brief
An explosive event involving an oxygen cylinder inside an ambulance in Pakistan's Tharparkar district of Sindh province killed between six and nine people and wounded several others. Police and emergency teams mobilised, and investigators from local hospitals and cities have begun probing the cause of the blast.
In the remote town of Nagarparkar in Sindh’s Tharparkar district, an ambulance parked at a local health facility exploded in the early hours of Wednesday, claiming the lives of several patients and staff and injuring others. The blast was caused by a rupture of an oxygen cylinder inside the vehicle, and the fire that followed engulfed the ambulance almost instantly.
Xinhua reports that eight people were killed and four were injured when the cylinder exploded. The ambulance had been parked at a health facility at the time of the blast, according to local media. Emergency teams from Mirpurkhas and Karachi were called in to examine the evidence and determine the cause of the explosion, and the injured were shifted to Karachi after receiving initial medical treatment, while the bodies were transferred to a local hospital for identification.
Anadolu Agency said at least nine people died and several were injured when the same oxygen cylinder burst inside the ambulance while staff were preparing patients for transfer. The vehicle caught fire, and the deceased included patients and hospital staff. Five others sustained serious burn injuries, and authorities announced they would launch an inquiry into the accident.
YeJahan reported that six people were killed and three others were severely injured in a similar incident that took place at the Basic Health Unit (BHU) Plus Dano Dhandhal in the Nangarparkar tehsil of Tharparkar district. According to the source, the ambulance was approaching the medical facility when its gas cylinder ruptured, triggering a massive blaze that quickly engulfed the vehicle. Rescue teams and emergency personnel arrived at the scene shortly after the blast to contain the fire and extract the victims, while the survivors received immediate first aid before being rushed to a hospital in Mithi for advanced treatment. The article said that an investigation into the cause of the technical failure and safety standards of the cylinder installation was expected to be launched by local authorities.
Across all reports, authorities have mobilised emergency services and special teams to investigate the cause of the explosion, with several investigations already underway or expected to begin. Police and emergency teams from neighboring cities were called to the scene, and local hospitals are handling the injured and identifying the deceased. The varying casualty figures in the different reports underscore the confusion and the urgent need for a thorough inquiry into the incident.
