ISLAMABAD: Three people were killed and another was injured as a result of a gas cylinder explosion in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, the Rescue 1122 service said on Friday.
The explosion occurred in Ijazabad area of KP’s provincial capital of Peshawar, according to a Rescue 1122 spokesperson.
It collapsed roof of a room inside the house and four members of the family were trapped under the rubble.
“Bodies of a man and a woman have been recovered from under the debris,” the Rescue 1122 spokesperson said, adding another child who was injured in the explosion had succumbed to his wounds.
Accidents caused by explosions involving faulty or worn-out gas cylinders, which are used for cooking as well as in cars, are common in Pakistan.
In July last year, five people were killed and 10 were injured on Sunday after a gas cylinder explosion flattened a three-story building in Jhelum city in the eastern province of Punjab
Prior to that, seven people lost their lives and 14 others were left injured as a gas cylinder installed in a vehicle exploded in the Bhalwal town of Punjab’s Sargodha district.
Three killed in gas cylinder explosion in northwest Pakistan — rescue service
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Three killed in gas cylinder explosion in northwest Pakistan — rescue service
- Accidents caused by explosions involving faulty gas cylinders are common in Pakistan
- People use these cylinders for cooking as well as in vehicles ignoring serious hazards
Pakistan highlights Gwadar transshipment role as shipping routes face disruption over regional tensions
- Pakistani ports possess “untapped potential” to attract global shipping lines for transshipment operations, says minister
- Pakistan eyes leveraging Gwadar as regional transshipment hub as Iran’s closure of Strait of Hormuz disrupts global maritime trade
KARACHI: Pakistan’s Maritime Affairs Minister Junaid Anwar Chaudhry on Thursday highlighted the importance of the port city of Gwadar’s transshipment role as major shipping routes, including the Strait of Hormuz, face disruption due to Iran’s ongoing conflict with the US and Israel in the Gulf.
The meeting takes place as Iran has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway that lies between it and Oman. It is one of the world’s most critical oil transit routes, with roughly 20 percent of global oil supplies passing through it. Iran has vowed it will attack any ship that enters the strait, causing energy prices to rise sharply on Monday amid disruptions to tanker traffic in the waterway.
Gwadar is a deep-sea port in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province that lies close to the Strait of Hormuz. Pakistani officials have in the past highlighted Gwadar’s geostrategic position as the shortest trade route to the Gulf and Central Asia, stressing that it has the potential to become a regional transshipment hub.
Chaudhry chaired a high-level meeting of government officials to assess emerging logistical challenges facing Pakistan’s trade, particularly in the energy sector, amid tensions in the Gulf.
“Special focus was placed on fully leveraging the potential of Gwadar Port as a regional transshipment hub and positioning it as an alternative of regional instability,” Pakistan’s maritime affairs ministry said in a statement.
The minister said Pakistani ports possessed “significant untapped potential” to attract international shipping lines for transshipment operations, noting that it could also ensure long-term sustainability and growth of the country’s maritime sector.
Participants of the meeting discussed measures to strengthen Pakistan’s position as a viable alternative transit and transshipment destination, as key waterways are affected by the disruption.
The committee also reviewed proposals to amend relevant rules and regulations to facilitate international transshipment operations through on-dock and off-dock terminals.
The chairmen of the Port Qasim Authority, Karachi Port Trust and Gwadar Port Authority attended the meeting, briefing committee members on the current operational readiness of their ports. They spoke about the available capacity for container transshipment, bulk cargo handling and refueling services at Pakistani ports.
The port in Gwadar is a central part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), under which Beijing has funneled tens of billions of dollars into massive transport, energy and infrastructure projects in Pakistan.
Pakistan has long eyed the deep-sea port as a key asset that can help boost its trade with Central Asian states, the Gulf region and ensure the country earns valuable foreign exchange.
