Woman, daughter die in gas explosion

Locals blame SNGPL staff for negligence

ISLAMABAD:

A woman and her six-year-old daughter were killed while a young boy suffered injuries in a gas-leak explosion at a house in Sector G-6 of the federal capital on Wednesday, witnesses and police said.

Area locals blamed the Sui Northern Gas Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) for showing negligence as the ill-fated family had already lodged complaints of gas leakage several times.

According to some eyewitnesses, there was a lot of gas leakage in the neighborhood and due to the leakage, the gas spread inside the residential property, causing a loud explosion.

Abpara Police sources said that the explosion due to gas leakage was so quick that the second floor, where the construction work was in progress, collapsed. The explosion then ignited the fire and quickly engulfed the entire house.

Read Gas explosion claims lives of three siblings

Zehra and her daughter Arsa were critically burnt and later succumbed to their wounds. Zehra’s husband Syed Nayyar Shah, who is an employee of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), was not present at home.

Police sources said that despite receiving information about the incident, fire tenders of Islamabad Municipal Corporation failed reach the site in time.

Locals removed the debris of the building and took out the two bodies. However, the fire brigade staff later cooled down the burned structure.

Syed Nayyar Shah is in a state of severe shock, not regaining consciousness and is still undergoing medical treatment.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 18^th, 2024.