Explosion: Two die after fire engulfs hotel rooms

Police say blast caused by a lit cigarette

DI KHAN: Two men were killed and three others were injured in DI Khan when the rooms of a hotel caught fire after an explosion on Thursday.  

An official of Saddar police station told The Express Tribune the incident occurred in Sufi Siraj Hotel on Bypass Road. According to initial investigation, some people were filling petrol in a large container when one of them lit a cigarette which resulted in an explosion.

The room caught fire and two people were burnt to death and three others were injured, said the official, adding the victims were all truck drivers. The deceased were identified as Saifur Rehman and Imran while the wounded were identified as Shahzar Khan, Taib Khan and Suliman.

They were shifted to District Headquarters and Teaching Hospital DI Khan where doctors said they were out of danger.

Several other adjoining rooms also caught fire because of the explosion. Locals gathered at the site to douse the flames, the fire brigade arrived as well and was able to bring the inferno under control.

“There is a petrol pump right next to the hotel. It is fortunate that the fire did not reach the pump or there would have been many casualties,” said the policeman.

Police said initial reports suggest the fire was caused by the lit cigarette but they will investigate further.

Bypass Road area is known for being a locality where petrol smuggling goes on unchecked.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 22^nd, 2015.