Several injured in Daska transformer explosion

DASKA:

An electric transformer on College Road exploded after malfunctioning for a while, which injured many passersby and caused damage to vehicles.

According to sources, the transformer burst into flames after an explosion, injuring five people, including a woman, while dozens of other people were also affected due to the leakage of oil from the transformer.

According to the eyewitnesses, initially a low-intensity fire broke out in the transformer and then the transformer exploded and turned into a ball of fire.

The people present near the transformer were caught unawares and before they could run for safety, they were already engulfed in flames.

The injured were shifted to different hospitals.

Two motorcyclists were also injured in the fire and their motorcycles were also burnt.

At the same time, a rickshaw full of passengers happened to be passing by the area, and it, too, got engulfed in the flames.

The passengers scurried to find cover. However, a woman and a child got burnt by the flames.

The rickshaw was completely burnt.

Two persons who had been set aflame were rescued by the people who splashed them with water to extinguish the fire.

A small shop right under the transformer got completely destroyed.

All the injured were shifted to Lahore.

According to the residents of the area, the transformer had been malfunctioning for some time.

“We are tired of telling WAPDA people, but no one listens to our complaints,” they said, alleging that the authorities concerned kept experimenting with new transformers and repairs, but they failed to find a permanent solution.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 29^th, 2023.