Hazardous work: Two workers at Bahawalpur Zoo suffer burns after generator catches fire

BAHAWALPUR: Two zoo employees suffered burns when a generator they were refuelling caught fire and exploded on Thursday.

Police said Qamar and Khalid were responsible for running the rides at the zoo. They realised that the generator which powered the rides was low on fuel. The two employees went to refuel the generator kept in the ticket house.

The generator caught fire midway with a small explosion. Qamar and Khalid were injured. They were taken to Bahawal Victoria Hospital where they are being treated.

The zoo contractor told the police that the district administration had examined the rides at the zoo two days before Eid Day and had issued a fitness certificate.

One of the contractors’ employees, who was near the ticket house when the explosion took place, also told police that the generator had caught fire while it was being refuelled.

Furniture and documents in the ticket house were burnt to a crisp in the fire.

Bahawalpur Commissioner Saqib Zafar, DCO Ehtisham Anwar Mahaar and City Additional District Collector Rao Tasleem Akhtar visited at the zoo and directed the zoo authorities to suspend the rides till further notice.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 16^th, 2016.