Six, including four children, injured in gas explosion

Critically injured man says he had repeatedly asked gas authorities to fix a leaking pipeline.

TALAGANG:

An explosion from a leaking underground gas pipeline destroyed Muhammad Saleem’s two-room mud house and inflicted serious injuries to him, his mother and four children.

Saleem, 35, the only breadwinner for the family, and his injured family members were shifted to Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) hospital in Islamabad with severe burns. Doctors have declared his condition and that of his two minor children as critical.

His mother and other two minors remained unharmed.

Saleem said he had repeatedly warned the Sui Gas authorities in Talagang and Tamman about the gas leaking from an underground pipeline running along his house but no official from the gas department came to fix the problem.

The explosion occurred when Saleem’s mother lit a matchstick in the kitchen.

Saleem’s wife, who is struggling to manage funds for Saleem’s treatment, has threatened to sue the gas department if her husband or any other family member dies of the injuries.

She appealed to the government to take strict action against the gas department and compensate the family. She added that the police have done nothing after registering a complaint against the gas authorities.

The injured have been identified as Gauhar Bano, 65; Muhammad Kalim, 12; Munazza Batool, 10; Ali, 8; and Asiya Batool, 4.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 16^th, 2012.