Seven, including five children, killed in Chaman cylinder blast

CHAMAN: At least seven people, including five children, were killed and 25 others injured when a gas cylinder exploded inside a house in Chaman, Balochistan, on Thursday, police said.

According to initial findings, a large number of residents—including women and children—had gathered at a house in the Torpal area where lassi was being distributed when the explosion occurred. Police officials said a 20-kilogram gas cylinder placed in the kitchen detonated, triggering a powerful blast that caused multiple rooms of the house to collapse.

Rescue teams and law enforcement personnel rushed to the scene and shifted the bodies and injured to a nearby hospital for treatment and medico-legal formalities. Several of the injured were reported to be in critical condition.

A bomb disposal squad was also summoned to examine the site and determine the precise nature of the explosion, officials added.

The incident comes days after a similar tragedy in Karachi, where at least 13 people, including women and children, were killed when a gas cylinder blast led to the collapse of a residential building in Soldier Bazaar, a densely populated neighbourhood in the city.

Last month, another cylinder explosion was reported at a hotel in Usta Muhammad town in Balochistan, injuring an employee and damaging the building, though other customers narrowly escaped unharmed.

Authorities have urged the public to ensure proper handling and maintenance of gas cylinders to prevent such incidents.