At least six people lost their lives while another 10 were injured on Sunday after a three-storey building located on the Grand Trunk Road in Jhelum collapsed due to a gas cylinder explosion, officials said.
Jhelum Deputy Commissioner Samiullah Farooq, speaking to media, said six people were confirmed dead while 10 injured were recovered so far and admitted to hospitals for treatment.
“Rescue efforts are under way and our teams are present here. There are reports that four to five people could be underneath the rubble,” he said, adding that the operation would continue till the last trapped person was reached and the whole site was cleared. Earlier, Additional Deputy Commissioner (Revenue) Hassan Tariq told reporters that the explosion took place at around 9:45am today, following which the rescue teams “immediately responded and initiated rescue efforts”.
Tariq added that all senior doctors and staff were present at the Jhelum District Headquarters Hospital where the injured were being provided treatment while one seriously injured patient was referred to the Holy Family Hospital in Rawalpindi.
In a tweet, the Jhelum police said District Police Officer (DPO) Nasir Mehmood Bajwa was supervising the rescue efforts while heavy machinery was being used to remove the debris. The DPO said that all available resources were being utilised in the rescue operation.
Earlier, an “emergency” was imposed in the District Headquarters Hospital and the entire staff and doctors had been called on duty.
