Faisalabad (Web Desk): At least 18 people were killed and several others injured on Friday when a devastating gas explosion tore through a factory near Faisalabad’s Malikpur area, the commissioner office said in a statement.
Rescue 1122 had initially suggested that the blast occurred early in the morning due to a boiler explosion, which led to the collapse of the factory and nearby structures.
However, the rescue service later revised its findings, concluding that the incident was caused by a gas leak — an assessment that was also confirmed by Faisalabad Commissioner Raja Jahangir Anwar’s office.
The commissioner’s statement clarified that the factory did not have a boiler at all. It noted that four factories were operational in the Malikpur cluster, and a fire triggered by the gas leakage in one unit quickly spread to the others.
The impact extended beyond the industrial site, damaging seven nearby houses as the force of the blast caused the factory roof, along with the roofs of adjacent homes, to cave in.
Officials said that 18 bodies had been recovered from the debris, raising the death toll beyond the earlier figure of 10 reported by Rescue 1122.
Ten injured individuals were moved to Allied Hospital, where three were discharged after receiving first aid.
Authorities said a five-member inquiry committee was being formed to investigate the circumstances of the tragedy. They added that the rescue phase at the site had concluded and that clearance work was ongoing.
The commissioner, while monitoring the situation, conveyed his condolences to the families of the victims, saying the administration stood with them in their grief.
Rescue 1122, in an earlier account, said the response at the glue factory was led by the district emergency officer and supported by more than 20 ambulances and fire tenders. The control room received the first alert about the explosion at 5:28am.
Taking notice of the incident, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz expressed deep sorrow over the loss of life and extended sympathies to the bereaved families.