A devastating explosion from a truck's oil tank in Balochistan's Nushki district left more than 40 people injured on Monday.
According to hospital and police officials, nine of the injured were in critical condition and were shifted to Quetta for urgent medical attention.
Due to the shortage of ambulances, several victims were transported in private vehicles.
Among those wounded are DSP Nushki, Sharif Bareach and members of the firefighting team, who sustained injuries while battling the flames.
The intense fire also engulfed a fire brigade vehicle during the rescue operation.
Meanwhile, authorities imposed an emergency at the trauma centre of the Civil Hospital Nushki to accommodate the large number of casualties.
Balochistan government spokesperson Shahid Rind expressed serious concern over the tragic incident.
He announced that a comprehensive investigation would be launched and assured that all injured individuals would receive full medical support from the provincial authorities.
"The fire was so intense it engulfed the fire brigade vehicle present at the scene," Rind was quoted as saying. "There are reports of more than 30 people being burned in the accident.
"The injured are being shifted to the Civil Hospital and BMC (Bolan Medical College) after [receiving] first aid," he said, adding that an emergency had been declared in hospitals.
Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti expressed grief over the incident and instructed authorities to expedite relief efforts.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ