The death toll from the gas cylinder blast in Hyderabad’s congested Preetabad area has risen to seven as two more children succumbed to their injuries in Karachi’s civil hospital on Friday.
Eight-year-old Ali Hasan passed away at 7 a.m. and twelve-year-old Azaan Ali son of Raees died at 4 a.m. Friday morning.
Both children had sustained 100 per cent burns that were a cause of death. Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and Governor Kamran Tessuri visited the injured at the hospital.
Thursday, heavy explosions occurred in a gas cylinder shop in Hyderabad triggering subsequent blasts in other cylinders. The explosions caused fires in several nearby homes and injured more than 60 people including women and children.
The injured were rushed to Civil Hospital Hyderabad, but due to inadequate facilities, 23 severely injured people including children were shifted to Civil Hospital Karachi. Six of these patients have died, while 17 remain in critical condition in Karachi.
The AMS of Civil Hospital Hyderabad Dr Aftab Phul told the media that 26 severely injured patients were transferred to Karachi, with most of the critically injured being children. He mentioned that more than 30 patients are still under treatment at Civil Hospital Hyderabad, with several in the ICU. Patients with burns covering 30-40 per cent of their bodies are being treated locally.
Eyewitnesses reported that they heard explosions and saw gas cylinders bursting in the shop which was a cause of fire in nearby homes. They stressed that gas cylinder shops should not be located in residential areas.
