7 dead, five injured as ambulance catches fire in Sindh's Tharparkar

Injured taken to hospitals in Mithi, Nagarparkar for treatment, identities of the deceased being ascertained

Seven people were killed and five others injured on Wednesday after a fire broke out in an ambulance following a suspected gas cylinder explosion at a rural health centre in Sindh's Tharparkar district.

The incident occurred at around 10:40pm at the rural health centre in Dano Dandal village in Nagarparkar tehsil, where staff were transferring a patient into an ambulance when the explosion occurred, Rescue 1122 official Habibullah said.

According to Habibullah, rescue teams, local officials and Nagarparkar Assistant Commissioner Iram Karim reached the site soon after receiving information about the incident.

The injured were taken to hospitals in Mithi and Nagarparkar for treatment.

The injured reportedly included health centre staff who were assisting in transferring the patients.

The identities of the deceased were also being ascertained, while the relevant authorities were investigating the cause of the incident.

The ambulance, which belonged to the Pakistan People’s Primary Healthcare Initiative, was completely gutted in the fire. The rural health centre was also operated by the organisation.