by ISLAMABAD: A powerful explosion caused by accumulation of gas in a sewage system underneath a private bank in Pakistan’s southern port city of Karachi killed at least 12 people and injured 13 others on Saturday. The civic authorities had recently asked the bank to vacate the premises so that the sewer could be cleaned.
Videos of the blast site aired on TV stations showed portions of the bank premises and an adjacent fuel station blown to smithereens. Windows in other nearby buildings were shattered while several parked cars and motorcycles were damaged.
Dr Sabir Memon, a doctor at Karachi’s Trauma Centre, said at least four among the injured were in a critical condition. He said the injuries did not appear to have been caused by shrapnel, as is the case in explosions triggered by terrorists.
A few hours after the initial blast, another smaller explosion took place at the same location even as rescue operations were underway. No further casualties were reported, although there is a possibility of some people being still trapped under the rubble, officials said.
Many sewage channels in Karachi have been covered, mostly illegally, by constructing concrete structures over them. Karachi, which is responsible for 60 per cent of Pakistan’s economic output, is a congested city with rampant unregulated construction and inadequate municipal services.
Videos of the blast site aired on TV stations showed portions of the bank premises and an adjacent fuel station blown to smithereens. Windows in other nearby buildings were shattered while several parked cars and motorcycles were damaged.
Dr Sabir Memon, a doctor at Karachi’s Trauma Centre, said at least four among the injured were in a critical condition. He said the injuries did not appear to have been caused by shrapnel, as is the case in explosions triggered by terrorists.
A few hours after the initial blast, another smaller explosion took place at the same location even as rescue operations were underway. No further casualties were reported, although there is a possibility of some people being still trapped under the rubble, officials said.
Many sewage channels in Karachi have been covered, mostly illegally, by constructing concrete structures over them. Karachi, which is responsible for 60 per cent of Pakistan’s economic output, is a congested city with rampant unregulated construction and inadequate municipal services.
