Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Gas explosion in sewer kills 12 in Pakistan’s largest city

- Adil Jawad

KARACHI, Pakistan – A powerful gas explosion in a sewage system in Pakistan’s largest city, Karachi, killed at least 12 people and injured 11 others Saturday, police and a health official said.

Police spokesman Sohail Jokhio said the blast was apparently caused when something ignited gas that had accumulate­d in the sewer beneath a local bank building in the Shershah neighborho­od of the port city.

The powerful blast destroyed the HBL bank building. Video aired by local television stations showed the entire structure of the Shershah branch was damaged. The floor was blown out and furniture was mired in sewage from below. The impact of the blast damaged several cars parked nearby and threw debris onto a gas station on the other side of the building.

Dr. Sabir Memon at Trauma Center Karachi said 10 people were killed and 13 others were injured, at least three critically. He said several injured were sent to the intensive care unit.

Senior police officer Sarafar Nawaz Shaikh later said two of the injured died at the hospital, raising the death toll to 12.

Shaikh said investigat­ors were not ruling out the possibilit­y the explosion was the work of militants. “We will come up with a clear version once the explosives experts complete their job,” he said.

Witness Mohammad Sameer said he was in the crowded bank branch moments before the blast but left shortly before the explosion. He said he rushed back to the damaged bank to rescue victims. “Thank God I left the venue otherwise I would also been among the affected ones,” he said.

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