KARACHI: At least 14 people died and several others injured when an explosion took place at a building in Karachi's industrial area on Saturday, confirmed a senior provincial official.
According to the bomb disposal squad, the explosion was caused by gas in a sewage system that severely damaged a building housing a local bank and other offices.
Police spokesman Sohail Jokhio told Associated Press it was not clear what triggered the blast, though he maintained something ignited the gas that had accumulated under the bank building in the Shershah neighborhood of the city.
“Fourteen people have been killed in the explosion,” Sindh Home Secretary Qazi Shahid Pervaiz told the media. “We have issued orders for a transparent inquiry into the incident.”
Prime Minister Imran Khan offered his "heartfelt prayers & condolences" to the families of victims in a Twitter post after the tragedy.
Earlier, the Sui Southern Gas Company confirmed there was no gas pipeline under the building and the installed gas system in the area was safe and secure.
Officials of Habib Bank Limited (HBL) confirmed about 10 of their staff members were present at the office at the time of the explosion that “damaged the branch and led to injuries and casualties.”
“HBL was one of the tenants of the building which also housed a number of other offices,” Ali Habib, the bank spokesperson, told Arab News. “We don’t have an official count of how many people were hurt in the blast.”
