No foul play: Gas pipeline explosion in Ghotki kills two

BDS officials rule out use of explosives, say accident was caused by high pressure and leakage.

SUKKUR: Two people were burnt to death and two others suffered severe burn injuries when the main gas pipeline supplying gas to parts of Sindh and Southern Punjab exploded at the crossing of Dahar Wah situated near Ubauro, Ghotki, on Wednesday. 

The 36-inch diameter main pipeline supplying gas from the Qadirpur Gas Field exploded because of which two employees of the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) - Shahbaz Shar and Jahangir Shar - were burnt to death. The flames from the explosion also injured Pehalwan Gurgej and Ahmed Gurgej. The bodies and injured were shifted to the Ubauro hospital and later, both the injured were referred to the Rahim Yar Khan Hospital in a critical condition. When contacted, the Sui Southern Gas Company’s (SSGC) Sukkur zonal manager, Aziz Abro, confirmed the explosion.

He said that the pipeline supplied gas to Southern Punjab from Qadirpur Gas Field. According to him, the SSGC only purchased small orders of gas from this pipeline, which was being supplied to Ubauro town and some adjacent areas.

Talking to The Express Tribune, SNGPL Coordinator Mohammad Yousuf said that the company officials were busy in repairing the pipeline and that restoring the gas supply to the affected areas might take some time.

Sukkur Bomb Disposal Squad’s in-charge, DSP Tahir Malik, ruled out the use of explosives in the incident. He said that the pipeline might have exploded due to high pressure and leakage of the gas.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 20^th, 2014.