A powerful gas explosion tore through an apartment building in Karachi, Pakistan’s largest port city, on Thursday, leaving at least 16 people dead, including women and children, and injuring several others after a section of the structure collapsed, according to police and rescue authorities.
The blast occurred in a residential neighbourhood of Karachi, the capital of Sindh province, during the early hours of the morning as residents were preparing the pre-dawn meal marking the first day of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Local police chief Rizwan Patel said rescue teams rushed to the site immediately and continued clearing debris in search of survivors who might still be trapped beneath the rubble.
Initial reports placed the death toll at 13, but the number later rose to 16 after additional bodies were recovered from the collapsed building. Emergency responders remained at the scene for several hours, carefully removing wreckage while providing medical assistance to the injured.
Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari expressed grief over the tragedy and extended condolences to the families of the victims. He instructed authorities to ensure proper medical care for those injured and called for rescue operations to be completed swiftly. The president also urged the Sindh provincial administration to strictly enforce building safety regulations, inspect gas cylinder usage and conduct a comprehensive investigation to prevent similar accidents in the future.
In Karachi, as in many parts of Pakistan, households commonly use natural gas for cooking. However, due to frequent shortages and low pressure in supply lines, many families also depend on liquefied petroleum gas cylinders, which can pose safety risks if improperly handled or maintained. The incident has once again highlighted concerns over gas safety and building compliance standards in densely populated urban areas.
The explosion follows another fatal gas-related incident in July, when a blast during a wedding gathering at a residence in Islamabad killed eight people, including the bride and groom, underscoring recurring safety challenges linked to domestic gas usage in the country.
