Six die as gas cylinder blast causes building to collapse in Jhelum

JHELUM: 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 Punjab’s Jhelum, ARY News reported.

According to details, a three-storey building located on the Grand Trunk Road in Jhelum collapsed after a gas cylinder exploded in the kitchen.

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

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

“There are reports that four to five people could 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.

Taking to Twitter, the Jhelum police said that all available resources were being utilised to rescue the lives of the people trapped under the debris of the building.

ڈی پی او جہلم ناصر محمود باجوہ کی نگرانی میں جہلم پولیس کے افسران جوان مسلسل امدادی سرگرمیوں میں مصروف عمل،
جہلم پولیس کے افسران امدادی سرگرمیوں میں بھرپور حصہ لے رہے ہیں،عمارت کے ملبہ کو ہیوی مشینری کی مدد سے ہٹایا جا رہا ہے،تمام دستیاب وسائل بروئے کار لائے جا رہے ہیں، ڈی پی او pic.twitter.com/aAQraeUcyF

— JHELUM POLICE (@police_jhelum) July 9, 2023

Sharing a video of the rescue operation, the police said that the building debris was being removed with the help of heavy machinery.