Seven killed as ambulance catches fire

MITHI, THARPARKAR:

Seven people were killed and five others injured when a People's Primary Healthcare Initiative (PPHI) ambulance caught fire following a suspected cylinder explosion at a rural health centre in Dano Dandhal village of Nagarparkar tehsil late on Wednesday, Rescue 1122 officials said.

Rescue 1122 Tharparkar in-charge Habibullah said the incident occurred at around 10:40pm while a patient was being transferred to the ambulance at the Rural Health Centre. Initial reports suggested that a cylinder explosion triggered the fire.

The injured were shifted to hospitals in Mithi and Nagarparkar for treatment, while authorities began the process of identifying the deceased. Health centre staff were also reportedly among those injured in the incident. The ambulance was gutted in the fire.

Assistant Commissioner Nagarparkar Iram Karim, along with officials from the tehsil administration, Rescue 1122 personnel and other local authorities, reached the site after receiving information about the incident. The authorities were investigating the cause of the explosion. Pakistan is highly prone to road accidents due to poorly maintained infrastructure, reckless driving habits, inadequate law enforcement, and a widespread lack of safety awareness among commuters.