ISLAMABAD: At least five people were killed and 10 were injured on Sunday after a gas cylinder explosion flattened a three-story building in Pakistan’s eastern province of Punjab, local media reported, citing officials.
The explosion occurred in a building located on the Grand Trunk Road in Punjab’s Jhelum City at around 9:45am, Pakistan’s Dawn newspaper reported.
Rescue teams immediately rushed to the site of the explosion and transported the injured to a nearby hospital for treatment.
“Five bodies had been recovered and shifted to the Jhelum District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital along with the 10 injured,” the report said, citing Additional Deputy Commissioner Hassan Tariq.
“Four to five people were still believed to be under the rubble and rescue efforts were under way to save them.”
The Jhelum police said the rescue operation and relief activities were underway, adding that the debris of the collapsed building was being removed with the help of heavy equipment.
“Under the supervision of district police officer (DPO) Jhelum, Nasir Mehmood Bajwa, the young officers of Jhelum Police are continuously engaged in relief activities,” they wrote on Twitter.
“Officers are actively participating in the relief activities and the debris of the building is being removed with the help of heavy machinery. All available resources are being utilized.”

Explosions caused by faulty gas cylinders — which are used for cooking as well as in cars — are common in Pakistan.
On Saturday, seven people lost their lives, while 14 others were left injured as a gas cylinder installed in a vehicle exploded in the Bhalwal town of Punjab’s Sargodha district. Last month, five people lost their lives in separate incidents involving the explosion of gas cylinders in Pakistan.