KOT ADDU: The death toll from an explosion inside a house in the Daira Din Panah area of Punjab's Kot Addu, present about 80 kilometres from Muzaffargarh, rose to six as a minor boy succumbed to his injuries.
Initially, five people were killed and three including a child were injured in the explosion, the police said Thursday.
Later, a one-and-a-half-year-old child, succumbed to his injuries at the District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital, Kot Addu — where the injured had been shifted.
As per details, the other deceased were identified as Haseena Mai, 40, Bilal, 38, Iqbal, 30, Shano Mai, 28, and four-year-old Sadia Bibi.
Police said that the house in which the explosion occurred was owned by a person who works at a junkyard. All the deceased belonged to the same family and three of them were women, they added.
“Even at the time of the explosion, waste materials and scrap were being sorted,” they confirmed, they said while sharing the details.
However, the cause and nature of the explosion were not yet ascertained, the police said, adding that investigations were underway.
They further stated that rescue teams, bomb disposal squad and other related security agencies had reached the spot soon after the explosion.
According to Rescue 1122, the control room received a call at 8:44am in which the caller informed that five people had been killed and three were injured due to the explosion of an “unknown object” in the house.
The caller requested that an ambulance be sent quickly.
“Rescue 1122 Control Room immediately dispatched three ambulances from Kot Addu Central Rescue Station to the accident site and also informed the police,” a statement from the helpline said.
When the rescue staff reached the location, eyewitnesses said that five people died on the spot and three people were injured due to the explosion of an unknown object in the room.
While the rescue team has started rescue operations, the statement said, it would be premature to say anything about the nature of the explosion.
Taking notice of the explosion, Punjab Inspector General of Police (IGP) Usman Anwar has sought a report from Dera Ghazi Khan regional police officer.
He also directed the Muzaffargarh district police officer to investigate the matter from all aspects.
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