- The fire damaged four apartments on the 10th floor and affected the roof of the 9th floor.
- Rescue teams used firefighters, slingshots and snorkels to bring the fire under control.
- Police gather evidence and search the affected area, suspecting arson.
KARACHI: A gas cylinder explosion sparked a fire in a residential building near Hyderi in north Nazimabad on Sunday, leaving a child dead and four others injured while the blaze damaged several apartments on the 10th floor, rescue officials said.
Rescue officials said the child’s body was found among the rubble, bringing the death toll in the incident to one. Four people, including a woman and a girl, were injured in the incident. Three of the injured are said to be in critical condition and have been transferred to hospital.
According to police and emergency services, the explosion occurred in an apartment on the 10th floor. The explosion damaged the roof of an apartment on the ninth floor and also affected the building’s elevator.
The fire spread to four apartments on the 10th floor, prompting an immediate evacuation of the building. Police said the residential complex was emptied after the incident.
Emergency services 1122 entered the building to carry out rescue operations. Initially, no snorkels arrived at the scene, but later, four fire tenders, a water tanker and snorkel vehicles were deployed to bring the fire under control.
Authorities said the building’s electricity had been turned off as a precaution, while emergency services confirmed all residents had been safely evacuated.
After several hours of firefighting efforts, authorities said the fire was brought under control and cooling operations were underway.
Dr Imran Khan of SSP Central was present at the site and the surrounding road was cleared for emergency operations.
Police and other relevant authorities have started collecting evidence and conducting searches in the affected area to determine the exact cause of the explosion.
