ISLAMABAD: A bride and a groom were among eight people killed because of a gas cylinder explosion in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad, an official said on Sunday.
The blast took place in a house in Islamabad’s G-7/2 sector where guests had gathered to celebrate the newlyweds, according to Additional Deputy Commissioner General Sahibzada Muhammad Yousuf.
The explosion caused damage to four houses in the neighborhood and authorities were trying to ascertain the cause of it.
“The total death toll in the incident has risen to eight,” Yousaf said, adding that 11 others had sustained injuries.
The blast occurred overnight and caused part of the house to collapse, according to authorities. Rescue members pulled all the dead and injured out of the rubble.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed grief over the loss of lives and offered condolences to the victims’ families, according to a statement issued from his office.
He directed health authorities to ensure the injured receive the best possible treatment and ordered an investigation.
Many Pakistani households rely on liquefied petroleum gas cylinders because of low natural gas pressure, and such cylinders have been linked to deadly accidents caused by gas leaks.
At least five people were killed in Pakistan’s southern Larkana city last month in a similar explosion, authorities said.
