Nine injured in Karachi sewer gas blast

Nine people were injured when gas accumulated in a sewerage line exploded in the Lasbela area on Friday afternoon. Three among the injured were in critical condition.

The intensity of the explosion was so intense that cars and motorcycles parked on the sewerage line flew up in the air like toys.

A pickup flew in the air and fell on an expensive car parked next to it. Both the vehicles were damaged.

Stalls of shops encroached on the sewerage line fell in the gutter as the roof of the nullah collapsed.

The sound of explosion was heard a kilometre away, rattling the windows and leaving people in panic over fear of a terrorist attack.

Rangers and police rushed to the spot and cordoned off the area, while the Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) team started investigations into the nature of the blast. BDS later confirmed that there was no explosive material used and it was not an act of terrorism or sabotage.

Meanwhile, ambulances of the rescue services hauled the injured people to the Dr Ruth KM Pfau Civil Hospital, where condition of three persons was said to be critical with third degree burn injuries.

Read more: Three injured in Karachi's sewerage line explosion

Traffic police blocked one side of the road to facilitate the rescue operations. There was a huge traffic jam in the area as the Lasbela road connecting the South to Central district was closed due to explosion.

A K-Electric team immediately reached the spot and disconnected the light so that there was no further loss of life while the pole-mounted transformer was also partially damaged.

Traffic police closed a road for traffic for rescue so that there is no problem in the operation. The eyewitness said that one person is missing from the scene for which the operation was intensified, but none was found. The shopkeepers say that the sewer line is 500 metres long. Earlier, there were holes made in it to allow the gas to escape, but the shopkeepers expanded the shops over the sewerage due to which there was no way for the gas to release and today there was an explosion and they have suffered a loss.

The shopkeepers were in despair, worried about who will help them recover the losses. The stalls and portions of shops destroyed in the explosion were encroachment, the local residents told The Express Tribune, adding, therefore, there was no chance of any official assistance.

The injured included Naseeruddin, Arif, Usman, Khuram, Laldin, Muhammad Ejaz, Hafeez, Mansoor and one unknown person. Doctors say that three are in critical condition with burns. The closure of Lasbela road led to queues of vehicles.