Five of a family hurt in gas heater blast

KARACHI:

Five people including two children burnt and injured when the gas heater at their home exploded with a huge ball of fire.

The explosion at the house in Gulshan-e-Mazdoor area of Baldia Town left head of the family Abdul Lateef, 38, his wife Yasmeen, 30, Sanan Khan, 3, Mon Salwa, 14 months, and Rubab three months, seriously injured.

Neighbours called in Edhi ambulance service to rush the victims to the Burns Ward of Civil Hospital.

Saeedabad police station SHO Shakir Hussain told The Express Tribune that someone had forgotten to turn off the heater during gas loadshedding and fumes had filled the single-room house when the supply resumed. Eventually, when Abdul Lateef lit a match there was a huge blast.

All the belongings of the family, including clothes and beddings were turned to ashes. Gas load-shedding has increased across the metropolitan city with the winter. Gas outages could lead to mishaps, endangering lives, especially when unsuspecting people forget to switch off heaters, stoves and ovens not knowing when the supplies will be restored.

SSGC officials also urged consumers to keep gas valves shut when the appliances are not in use. If there is no supply, even then keep the valve shut, otherwise there will be gas leakage when the supply resumes, they warned.

Earlier in November, a couple and their three children suffered burn injuries due to explosion triggered by gas leakage at their single room apartment in the New Golimar area in.
According to family members, the gas supply went out at night when Waseem Yousuf was preparing to cook food for supply in a local market. However, when there was no flame, he went to bed forgetting to close the gas valve. When he came back in the kitchen to cook and lit a match, there was a huge blast.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 26^th, 2022.