Two people were killed and several others injured after a powerful liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) bowser exploded near the National Highway and motorway interchange in Sukkur. CCTV footage of the incident has also surfaced.
The dead were identified as Adnan and Safdar, both drivers of the LPG bowser, which belonged to Khushab. Sukkur Deputy Commissioner Nadir Shahzad said the injured included drivers of other vehicles. The blast was so strong that debris from the bowser was thrown several feet away, severely damaging nearby vehicles.
Rescue and treatment efforts after the blast
District Council Chairman Syed Kumail Haider Shah visited the scene with the deputy commissioner and the Sukkur Senior Superintendent of Police. Speaking to reporters, he said the injured were receiving the best possible medical care. He added that they could be moved to a private hospital or transported by air ambulance if required.
Shah said rescue centres would be set up near the interchange. He also said officials were gathering information on where the vehicle had come from. Nadir Shahzad said providing the best possible treatment to the injured was the administration’s top priority.
Investigation into the cause of the explosion
Nadir Shahzad said the exact cause of the explosion was being investigated. SSP Saleem Sohto said traffic on the highway had been restored after the incident.
Sohto added that a Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) team had collected evidence to determine what caused the blast.
