Seven killed as Jhelum hotel collapses in gas cylinder blast

As many as seven people lost their lives and 15 others suffered injuries after a three-storey hotel caved in due to a powerful gas cylinder explosion in Jhelum on Sunday.

The three-storey hotel located on the Grand Trunk Road in Punjab’s Jhelum collapsed after a cylinder exploded in the kitchen.

Rescue officials said that as many as 15 injured have been recovered and shifted to the Jhelum District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital. Two of the injured — who were in critical condition — have been transported to Rawalpindi, they added.

District Emergency Officer (DEO) Saeed Ahmen earlier said that the first and second storeys of the building have been cleared.

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

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