In a significant explosion at a liquid petroleum gas cylinder filling station in Hyderabad’s Preetabad neighborhood on Thursday, at least 50 people—mostly children—were burned, according to health officials.
At least fifty persons were injured in the explosion, which happened under the authority of the Pinyari police station, according to Dr. Shahzad Memon, the registrar of the burn unit at Liaquat University Hospital (LUH).
The explosion happened in a ground-floor store in the UC-8 neighborhood of Neerunkot town, near the Zacha Bacha hospital on Mir Nabi Bux Town Road.
Along with ambulances, rescue 1122 teams and firefighters reached the scene and started transferring patients.
The fire in the shop, which had started to spread to the top levels of the building where the property owner’s family lived, was put out by firefighters.
A Babuddin Qureshi-owned building’s top floor residents were relocated to different locations. The owner of the store, Akram Arain, is also hurt. “Arain is a tenant of Babuddin Qureshi, who is also critically hurt,” said Sarwar Qazi, the local cable operator.
He claimed that in addition to her son and her two grandkids, political figure Parveen Qazi was also hurt.
On Qureshi’s land was also a seminary, primarily used by young people for academic purposes. Local mechanic Israr Ali stated, “Children were either leaving or entering the seminary when the blast took place.”
Senior Superintendent of Police Dr. Farrukh Ali and Hyderabad Deputy Commissioner Zain Memon also showed up at the location.
Deputy Mayor Saghir Qureshi and Mayor Kashif Shoro of Hyderabad also paid a visit to the location and LUH.
Dr. Memon informed Dawn.com that all of the injured were taken to the burns ward at LUH. According to the hospital’s records, sixteen patients were sent to Karachi for medical care.
Regarding those transferred to Karachi, LUH administration officer Dr. Aftab Phull stated, “They are seriously injured with 90pc burn wounds.”
He claimed that the remaining patients were admitted to either the adult or pediatric intensive care units (ICUs) within the burns ward.
Hospital staff reported seeing hectic scenes in the burn and casualty rooms of LUH as ambulances carrying injured patients arrived, trailed by distraught family members.
There was so much chaos that we are at a loss for how to handle it. However, we eventually came to an agreement and started relocating patients with a greater rate of burn injuries to Karachi, according to Dr. Phull.
In a statement, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah’s spokesman said that the provincial chief had noticed the incident and had instructed the commissioner to treat the injured in LUH. He also ordered Vice Chancellor (VC) Prof. Dr. Ikram Din Ujjan of Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences to oversee the treatment.
CM Shah further directed the VC to forward individuals in more critical condition to Karachi. He declared, “Everything should be done to protect the precious lives.”
After relief efforts concluded, the chief minister also gave the commissioner instructions to investigate and examine further stores.
