Blasting destroys neighboring houses; The search operation was intensified as more casualties were feared
At least 19 people are dead and several others injured after an explosion inside a chemical factory in Faisalabad’s Malikpur area.
It is suspected that either the factory’s boiler or the “stove”, which is used to heat chemicals, exploded.
The blast, which occurred around 6 a.m., was so powerful it caused the roofs of six surrounding houses to collapse, emergency officials reported. 11 other houses have also been damaged.
A family of four, including a husband, wife and their two children, died when the roof of their home next to the factory collapsed, burying them under the rubble. The dead include six children, two women, two senior citizens and factory workers.
Immediately after the blast, local residents launched their own rescue efforts and pulled the bodies from the debris before emergency services arrived. Rescue teams have since taken over operations at the site and transported the injured for treatment to hospitals, where 6 people are said to be in a critical condition.
Search operations have intensified as authorities fear more victims may remain trapped under the rubble.
