Karachi: The death toll from Thursday’s fireworks storage explosion on the port city’s Ma Jinnah Road rose to six after another person was injured in the explosion bent during their wounds during treatment.
Police said the owner of the warehouse, Muhammad Hanif alias Patakha Wala, who was also injured in the explosion, had been arrested from the hospital. However, his brother Ayub, also wounded, fled from Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center (JPMC) on Friday night and remains largely. Police said attacks were carried out to understand Ayub.
Both brothers have been nominated in FIR, registered at Preedy Police Station, which includes charges of killing, negligence and danger of life.
According to investigators, Hanif had imported fireworks from other cities and abroad and also prepared explosive material on the back of the same rooms.
Rescuers and police officers said that four organs were recovered from the scene shortly after the explosion, while two of the wounded later died during treatment, which brought the death toll to six. More than 30 others were injured and moved to Dr. Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital and JPMC, several with serious combustion injuries.
A report from Bomb Disposal Squad stated that nearly 500 kg of fireworks were consumed in the explosion, whose sound was heard up to seven kilometers away. The explosion caused destruction within a 100 meter radius and damaged the building, nearby stores and vehicles, the report said.
Authorities also revealed that three additional storage spaces inside the same building still contain fireworks material, while two containers filled with explosives were found in a nearby soil. Officials estimate that about 5,000 kg of fireworks remain on site and have recommended urgent safe disposal.
The rescue operation continued through Friday with police, fire departments and district management teams on site.
