QUETTA: At least two people were killed and five others, including the Assistant Commissioner, were injured in a fire and explosion at an LPG bottling plant in Taftan, a border town along the Pakistan-Iran frontier.
According to Deputy Commissioner Chagai, Jahanzeb Shahwani, the incident occurred between Wednesday and Thursday night when a gas bowser parked at the LPG plant caught fire and subsequently exploded. The deceased included Munawar, a resident of Nushki.
Among the injured were Assistant Commissioner Taftan Naeem and four others identified as Shehryar, Waheed, Nauman, and Zaheer Ahmed.
Initial reports suggest that the fire broke out while gas was being transferred from a bowser arriving from Iran to another bowser at the plant. Fire brigade and rescue teams began efforts to control the blaze, but during the operation, the bowser suddenly exploded, intensifying the fire.
Eyewitnesses said the flames were so high that they could be seen from several kilometers away, causing panic in the area. Social media users reported that the flames were also visible from Mirjaveh in Iran, located a few kilometers from Taftan.
Multiple bowsers, shops, and vehicles were reduced to ashes in the fire. The blaze was later brought under control.
The Deputy Commissioner said the injured had been shifted to Quetta for treatment. He added that the exact cause of the fire would be determined after completion of the rescue operation and a detailed investigation.
