Federal team reaches Jhelum for cylinder blast probe

JHELUM: A federal investigation team has arrived in Jhelum for inquiring into a cylinder blast that claimed six lives, ARY News reported on Monday.

A two-member team, on instruction of the federal government, has reached Rathian for investigation of the blast that caused a three-storey building collapse on Sunday.

The probe examined the place of the explosion and collected evidence from the ground, sources said. Investigation officials also collected various samples from the debris, according to sources.

“Illegal gas re-filling was being conducted in the building,” quoting investigation team sources said.

At least six people were killed, and 10 others were injured on Sunday when a three-storey building collapsed due to a gas cylinder explosion in Jhelum.

The building located on the Grand Trunk Road in Jhelum collapsed after gas cylinder exploded in the kitchen, according to early report.

Samiullah Farooq, Deputy Commissioner of Jhelum, confirmed the death of six people and said 10 others were retrieved from the rubble and shifted to the District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital.

Two of the injured — who were in critical condition — were transported to Rawalpindi, he added.

“There are reports that four to five people could still be underneath the rubble,” the deputy commissioner said, adding that the rescue operation would continue till the last trapped person was reached and the whole site was cleared.