Cylinder blast leaves child dead, 20 injured in Turbat

Fire engulfs 21 persons including students travelling in a school bus

QUETTA: A child was killed and 20 people sustained injuries after a gas cylinder exploded inside a shop in Turbat bazaar on Wednesday.

According to the Makran division commissioner, the explosion, which occurred at a shop near Turbat Park Hotel, sparked a blaze engulfing a school van parked nearby.

He said the shopkeeper was busy in work when the gas cylinder exploded. The fire engulfed 21 persons including students, who were going to home after school.

The injured were taken to Teaching Hospital, said the commissioner, adding that one of the children succumbed to his wounds and five of the severely injured children were transferred to Karachi for further treatment.



Soon after the incident, fire fighters of municipal corporation and troops of Frontier Corps and Pakistan Navy rushed to site and brought fire under control.

A state of emergency was imposed in all Turbat hospitals after the incident.

Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan expressed his concerns at the incident and directed the local administration to provide the best-possible treatment to the injured.

The chief minister also ordered that those severely injured be transferred to Karachi immediately, and announced that their treatment costs will be borne by the provincial government.