DHA blast was an accident, claims Sana

LAHORE: Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah claimed on Friday that forensic samples collected from the site in Lahore's DHA area, where a blast took place on Thursday, have confirmed that it was a cylinder explosion rather than an act of terrorism.

Addressing a hurriedly called press conference here at Model Town, the minister said six samples collected from the building did not contain traces of explosives. The assessment of samples at forensics laboratory requires around 6-8 hours, he added.

"Yesterday's explosion was an accident and not an act of terrorism or any explosives blast," Rana said, adding that the collected samples hinted at a gas leak and showed presence of cylinders in the building.

The minister said strict action would be taken against authorities involved in making substandard cylinders. Explaining the reason for delay in determining the nature of the blast, he said due to the extensive damage, caused by the blast, the forensics team could not collect samples from the site until the debris had been cleared, which took some time.

On the occasion, the minister regretted that some TV channels without any confirmation termed the DHA blast an act of terrorism and also ran news of another blast in Lahore that caused panic among the citizens.

When asked about holding of final of Pakistan Super League (PSL) in Lahore, Sana said any decision in this regard would be shared with the public later on.

Agencies add: Multiple police and administration officials had earlier stated on the record that the explosion in the DHA locality, which blew out windows and crumpled cars, was a bomb.  Sanaullah suggested authorities were considering reforming the provincial press department to streamline the flow of verified information.

To a query, the minister said the law would take its course against those selling substandard cylinders.

Lambasting political antagonists, the minister said they must not criticise the government over acts of terrorism, adding all should contribute positively to thwart evil designs of terrorists.