At least 8 people, including a newlywed couple, died tragically in a gas cylinder explosion at a marriage house in Islamabad, Pakistan. British media BBC reported that the dead included wedding guests and other family members. At least 12 other people were seriously injured in this incident.
This terrible explosion happened at 7 am local time on Sunday. The force of the explosion caused the roof of the house to collapse and a large part of the wall to be blown away.
Emergency service personnel said that gas had accumulated in the house due to gas leakage and the explosion started from there. At least 3 other houses around that house were severely damaged.
Pakistan Senate Chairman Yusuf Raza Geelani described the incident as ‘heartbreaking’. Expressing his condolences to the bereaved family, he said, “It is now necessary to take more strict and effective measures to prevent the unsafe use of gas cylinders.”
Father of the deceased groom, Hanif Masih, said that his son was married the previous day. The newlyweds, family members and guests were sleeping in the house at the time of the blast. In an instant, the joy of marriage turned into sadness.
Deputy Police Commissioner of Islamabad Sahibzada Yusuf told the local media, “Investigation has been started to find the real cause of the explosion. Rescue operations are being carried out using sniffer dogs and modern technology to ascertain whether anyone else is trapped under the debris.’
Notably, several major fatal accidents have occurred in Pakistan earlier due to gas leakage. Experts believe that the lack of awareness in the use of gas cylinders is the main reason for these accidents.
