RAWALPINDI - Five members of a family, including three females and two children, received burn injuries when a gas cylinder placed in their kitchen exploded due to gas leakage in New Abadi on Girja Road, Sadr area, informed Rescue 1122 and police here on Saturday.
Soon after the incident, the Rescue 1122 rushed to the scene and carried out rescue operation shifting the injured to the District Headquarters Hospital (DHQ) for medical treatment.
However, the injured people later were brought to Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) due to beds shortage and lack of medical facilities in DHQ, where the condition of one injured lady is stated to be critical.
The three maimed ladies identified as Farah Naz, 34, Zahora, 35, Hijrat Bibi, 35, while children are Musadiq, 3, and Asim, 8.
The blast was so powerful that its sound was heard miles away. The blast damaged the wall and roof of the house, gripped the whole area with fear while thick smoke was billowing from the house after the incident.
Soon after the incident, the residents gathered outside the house to witness the rescue operation whereas some of them also helped out the rescuers in transporting the injured people to hospital.
According to Lal Shah, the investigation office of Police Check Post Girja, the gas cylinder explosion occurred due to gas leakage.
He said that during night hours, the ill-fated family members forgot to switch the cylinder or stove off properly, that led to filling of gas in the kitchen.
In the morning, Hijrat Bibi came to the kitchen to prepare breakfast for her family. As she shown safety match stick to the stove a powerful blast occurred that injured Hijrat Bibi critically. The other two females and two children also sustained injuries.
The wall of the kitchen and the roof of the house partially damaged, the said police official adding that the injured people were shifted to the DHQ first and later to PIMS because of beds shortage at the DHQ.
“Hijrat Bibi received multiple burnt injuries and is very critical condition,” he said.