Six of a family killed in Quetta gas explosion

Blast caused by the family leaving heater on during load-shedding

QUETTA:

At least six people, all family members, have been killed in a gas explosion in Quetta early on Tuesday morning. Police told The Express Tribune that the incident took place in the Double Road area of the provincial metropolis.

“The family had left the gas heater on during the night despite the fact that gas load shedding across the country is a routine. Due to the load shedding the room was filled with gas and when the family members tried to light the heater in the morning a huge explosion occurred,” said a police official, adding the roof of the room collapsed after the explosion.

The owner of the house is a cleric Abdul Aziz. His wife, two daughters and three sons are among the dead. Four other family members suffered critical injuries.

The injured were rushed to the Bolan Medical Complex. Police and rescue workers as well as local residents reached the spot and retrieved the dead bodies from the rubble.

Gas explosions as a result of load shedding have claimed dozens of precious human lives across the province. Despite repeated attempts, The Express Tribune was not able to speak to any official of the Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC). “Our PRO is based in Karachi so there is no one available for comments,” an official of the SSGC said, refusing to comment on the tragedy. Government, as usual, has not taken any notice of the incident.

“This is a tragic episode and it must be probed to fix responsibility,” Muhammad Hanif, a neighbor of the family, demanded, adding that SSGC was also responsible for negligence and not keeping consumers updated about the gas load shedding schedule.