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Rescue operations are carried out after a gas cylinder explosion took place in Islamabad’s G-7/2 sector Photo: Express
ISLAMABAD:
A wedding celebration in the federal capital turned into a scene of destruction on Sunday when a powerful blast tore through a house in Sector G-7/2, killing at least eight people, including the bride and groom, and injuring 12 others, according to officials.
The blast happened while the wedding festivities were going on, with guests present inside the house.
Emergency services rushed to the scene as debris spread across the area, damaging nearby structures and trapping people under the rubble.
Rescue teams managed to pull all those trapped from the wreckage, while an investigation was ordered to determine the exact cause of the explosion, which officials initially linked to a gas cylinder or leak.
Medical officials said six bodies and 11 injured people were taken to Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), while two other bodies and one injured person were taken to Capital Hospital.
PIMS spokesperson, Dr. Aneeza Jalil, said that an emergency was imposed on the hospital following the directives of the Managing Director, Dr. Rana Imran Sikander, immediately after the incident.
She said one of the injured had been moved to the burn center with 20 percent burn injuries.
Islamabad Additional Deputy Commissioner (General) Sahibzada Yusuf visited the site on the directions of Deputy Commissioner Irfan Nawaz Memon.
Addressing the media, he said at least four houses had been damaged in the blast and confirmed that the deceased included the bride and groom. He added that rescue operations were being carried out using “advanced technology” and that further checks were underway using specialist equipment.
ADC Yusuf said an investigation had been ordered to ascertain the cause of the explosion, although preliminary assessment suggested it was a gas cylinder explosion.
Islamabad Chief Commissioner Muhammad Ali Randhawa also told reporters that the explosion appeared to be the result of a gas leak.
“So far we have concluded that this explosion happened due to a gas leak,” he said, adding that an independent investigation would still be conducted on the instructions of the prime minister’s office to determine the exact reasons behind the incident.
Randhawa said one of the houses had been completely destroyed and arrangements had been made to bring the bodies to a plot near the site before burial. On compensation, he said, “It is not possible that there would be any delay in compensating them. But the verification process may take four to five days”.
Grief-stricken relatives gathered at the scene and hospitals as details emerged. Hanif Masih, father of the deceased groom, said his son’s wedding had taken place on Saturday and the family had returned home the night before.
“At the time of the incident (explosion), I was present at home but was sleeping in a separate room next to the house. I woke up after hearing a loud explosion and rushed to the scene of the incident, but by that time everything had already been destroyed,” he said.
He added that apart from his son and daughter-in-law, his sister-in-law was also among the deceased, while his daughter and other family members were hospitalized. Overcome with grief, he refused to speak further.
The tragedy sparked reactions from the country’s top management. In a statement, Senate President Yusuf Raza Gilani expressed deep sorrow over the incident that took place “during a wedding”, calling it “a heartbreaking incident that turned celebrations into grief for a family”.
Expressing concern over gas cylinder explosions, he stressed that “such incidents require relevant departments to fulfill their responsibilities seriously and ensure safety measures”, and called for compliance with laws and greater public awareness of cylinder safety.
President Asif Ali Zardari expressed deep sorrow and concern over the blast, terming it tragic and extremely disturbing.
In a statement issued by the Presidential Secretariat Media Wing, he extended condolences to the families of the victims, prayed for the injured and said the entire nation stood in solidarity with the bereaved families.
He directed authorities to strictly enforce safety regulations related to manufacture, quality and use of gas cylinders and directed provincial governments and the Islamabad administration to launch public awareness campaigns on safe cylinder use.
“Saving precious human lives is the most important responsibility of the state and effective measures are essential to prevent such incidents,” the President stressed.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also expressed grief over the loss of life, prayed for speedy recovery of the injured and conveyed condolences to the bereaved families.
He directed the Federal Minister of Health, the Minister of Health and the PIMS administration to remain on high alert and ensure that the injured received quality medical treatment until full recovery.
He also directed the Home Secretary to conduct a thorough investigation and submit a detailed report to identify the causes of the incident and address the responsibility.
