Man dies, seven hurt in Lyari gas explosion

A man died, and five children and two women were injured in an explosion on Wednesday morning that took place at a multi-storey residential building in the Lyari area of Karachi.

The explosion took place at the sixth floor of the building located in Liaquat Ashraf Colony in the Lyari neighbourhood within the limits of the Kalri police station. As a result, a man was killed and seven others, including five children and two women, sustained injuries.

Rescue workers reached the property and transported the casualties to the Civil Hospital, Karachi. The deceased man was identified as 30-year-old Ashfaq, alias Kalu, son of Mushtaq, while the injured persons included 25-year-old Komal, nine-month-old Irfan, Hiba, 7, Alishba, 5, Rasheeda, 34, wife of Rizwan, and Zainab, 6, daughter of Rizwan.

Police said the deceased was a motorcycle mechanic by profession and initial investigations suggested that the explosion took place due to a leakage in a gas line. They added that the deceased had installed a gas suction pump from where the gas was leaking and there was no ventilation in that area with the doors and windows closed.

“The gas explosion occurred when the deceased man’s wife lit a match stick to prepare breakfast,” police said. As a result, the explosion occurred with a loud bang, killing Ashfaq and injuring his wife, four children, a sister and a niece.