The Kabul Tribune (KT) — A newly married couple were killed after a gas cylinder exploded at a house in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, a day after their wedding, the BBC reported on Sunday.
Police said the explosion occurred at around 7 a.m. local
time on Sunday, causing the roof of the house to collapse. Six other people,
including family members and wedding guests who were staying in the house, were
also killed. More than a dozen people were injured.
Emergency workers said the blast was caused by a gas leak
that filled the room before igniting. Parts of the walls were blown apart,
leaving debris, concrete slabs and furniture scattered across the site. Several
injured people were trapped under the rubble and were rescued by emergency
teams using stretchers.
Three neighboring houses were also damaged by the explosion,
police said.
Hanif Masih, the groom’s father, told local media that his
son had married a day earlier and that the newlywed couple, along with
relatives and guests, were asleep in the house at the time of the blast. He
said the family had gone to bed around 3 a.m. local time.
Pakistan’s Senate Chairman Yusuf Raza Gilani described the
incident as “heart-wrenching,” saying it had turned celebrations into mourning.
He called for stronger measures to curb the unsafe use of gas cylinders.
Police said the area has been sealed off and an
investigation is underway. Forensic teams and sniffer dogs were deployed to
search the debris and confirm that no one remained trapped.
Liquefied petroleum gas cylinders are widely used in
Pakistani households for cooking and heating and have been linked to several
deadly accidents caused by gas leaks in the past.
