Twisted metal, broken bricks and burnt debris mark the ruins of a chemical factory in Faisalabad’s Malikpur. Photo: Online
FAISALABAD:
A powerful explosion at a chemical factory in Faisalabad’s Malikpur area on Friday sparked a massive fire and caused the collapse of ten nearby houses, killing at least 20 people and injuring seven others, according to rescue officials.
The blast, which took place early in the morning at a factory producing adhesives near Shahab Town’s Kabaddi Stadium Ground, was heard across the city. Flames quickly engulfed the factory and spread to adjacent structures, causing roofs and walls of nearby homes to collapse and trapping entire families under the rubble.
Victims include women, children, elderly residents and factory workers.
Rescue team 1122, supported by heavy machinery and 150 personnel, retrieved bodies and survivors during a ten-hour operation supervised by District Emergency Officer (DEO) Engineer Ehtisham Wahla. A total of 31 rescue vehicles were dispatched to the scene.
Meanwhile, the traffic police kept the route to Allied Hospital clear as the dead and injured were transported. The district administration imposed an emergency in both allied hospitals and called in chief medical officers.
According to officials, the victims included 10 members of two families. Among the dead were 42-year-old Fakhra Bibi, her three young children Jannat, Maham and Ali Husnain, as well as 62-year-old Maqsooda Bibi, her husband Muhammad Shafiq, their son Muhammad Irfan and several children from neighboring households.
The youngest victims were only one, two, three and four years old.
Among the injured were Riffat Bibi (32), Younis (65), Moazzam (17), Liaqat (55), Ahsan (30), Nadeem (16) and Ashraf (15).
Rescue workers said breathing became difficult during the operation due to the chemical fumes, forcing responders to use masks.
Deputy Commissioner Faisalabad Captain (r) Nadeem Nisar, SSP Operations Nasser Mahmood Bajwa, the traffic chief and SP Madina Town supervised the rescue efforts at the spot. Residents of Malikpur also joined emergency teams to remove rubble and help victims.
Reacting to the tragedy, Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz and National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq expressed deep grief over the tragedy and sought a detailed report from Faisalabad Commissioner Raja Jahangir Anwar.
They ordered a full investigation into the explosion.
According to the FIR filed at Mansoorabad police station, Sub-Inspector Ahtisham Abbas stated that while he was on patrol, he received a call about the blast.
When he reached the spot, he found the factory and nearby houses demolished and victims trapped. Local residents were already trying to pull people out until rescue teams arrived.
The FIR claims that factory owner Qaiser Chughtai, manager Bilal Ali Imran and five employees had been repeatedly warned about the storage of “dangerous chemical and highly flammable material” in a container next to a populated area.
Residents had filed several complaints fearing a major disaster.
Police said the owners ignored the warnings and continued to store dangerous chemicals until the container exploded, killing 20 people and injuring seven.
A case has been registered under Sections 302, 324, 336B, 440, 147, 149, Section 3/4 of the Explosives Act and 7-ATA. The police have launched a search for the factory owner, the manager and the employees mentioned in the FIR.
