At least nine people, including a pregnant woman, were killed after an oxygen cylinder exploded inside an ambulance at a health facility in Tharparkar, Sindh.
The ambulance, operated by the People’s Primary Healthcare Initiative (PPHI), caught fire while staff members were fitting an oxygen cylinder. Hospital administration said the pregnant woman was still inside the ambulance when the explosion occurred.
Assistant Commissioner Nagarparkar Erum Karim Narejo confirmed that the ambulance was parked at a Basic Health Unit (BHU) Plus facility when the blast triggered the fire.
The victims included a PPHI dispenser, the ambulance driver, a watchman, another employee, the pregnant woman and two attendants. One injured person later died while being transported to Karachi, raising the death toll to nine.
Two midwives and a female attendant at the health center were also among the injured. They received initial treatment before being shifted to Karachi for further medical care.
Sindh Home Minister and Law Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar took notice of the incident and sought reports from the Tharparkar senior superintendent of police and deputy commissioner. He also directed authorities to ensure immediate treatment for the injured and expressed condolences to the victims’ families.
Provincial authorities have called in expert teams from Mirpurkhas and Karachi to examine the evidence and determine the cause of the explosion. The identities of all the deceased were also being established.
The exact cause of the blast has yet to be officially confirmed.
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