KARACHI: A blast near Paracha Chowk in Karachi’s Shershah area killed at least 15 people and injured 16 others on Saturday.
Police spokesman Sohail Jokhio said the blast was apparently caused when something ignited gas that had accumulated in the sewer beneath a bank building.
Jokhio said it was not yet clear what ignited the gas but a team of explosives experts had been summoned to investigate.
Jokhio said windows were shattered in nearby buildings and a parked vehicle nearby was also badly damaged.
He also said no evidence of terrorism had been found at the site of the blast yet.
Station House Officer (SHO) Zafar Ali Shah said the bank had already been given notice to vacate the premises so the drain could be cleaned.
Eyewitnesses said many people were buried underneath the debris of the building.
Dr Sabir Memon, head of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Trauma Centre at Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital Karachi (CHK), confirmed that 15 people had died in the incident and 16 others injured in the blast were brought to the hospital.
Sindh Health Minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho said that “doctors are providing emergency medical assistance to the injured persons”.
Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Political Communication Shahbaz Gill said Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf MNA Alamgir Khan’s father, Dilawar Khan, had also died in the blast. “We share the grief of Alamgir Khan and other bereaved families,” he tweeted.
In a message on Twitter, Prime Minister Imran Khan condoled with the families of the victims. He said he was “especially saddened to hear of the loss of our MNA Alamgir Khan’s father who also perished in the blast”.
The initial report of the Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS), released later in the day, said that the blast occurred due to gas leakage and the accumulation of gases in the nullah underneath the building.
On the other hand, the Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) rejected the police’s claim of a blast in the sewerage line and said that its experts have confirmed that there was “no SSGC gas pipeline” near the building.
“The gas pipelines installed in the area have not incurred any damage”.
The SSGC further said that the blast was not linked to any of its pipelines as there was no smell of any natural gas or visible flame in the area.
HBL was one of the tenants in the building and not the only tenant. The building had a number of other tenants as well.
A statement from the bank said it was “closely monitoring the situation” under the guidance of the authorities.
“Currently, the focus of the bank is to work closely with the authorities in facilitating all rescue and relief efforts and provide support to the families of the affected.
“Our main concern is the safety of our customers and our staff. We continue to serve our customers across Karachi and the rest of the country,” it added.
Meanwhile, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah took notice of the blast and ordered commissioner Karachi to hold an inquiry. He directed the commissioner to hold the investigation into all aspects.
He expressed deep sorrow over the loss of precious lives in the incident.
He also directed the administration to reach the locality and hospitals to provide maximum facilities to the affected persons.
Many sewage channels in the city have been covered, mostly illegally, by constructing concrete structures over them.
