Pakistan: Oxygen cylinder explodes inside ambulance, killing 10 including pregnant woman

Dubai: At least 10 people, including a pregnant woman, were killed when an oxygen cylinder exploded inside an ambulance at a government-run health facility in Pakistan’s southern Sindh province, triggering a devastating fire, police and hospital officials said on Thursday.

The explosion occurred overnight in Tharparkar district as medical staff were preparing to transfer patients to another hospital.

According to local officials, the ambulance was parked at a basic health centre in Nagarparkar when the blast occurred.

Hospital authorities said a pregnant woman was still inside the vehicle while staff were fitting an oxygen cylinder. An explosion during the process sparked a fire that engulfed the ambulance.

District Police Chief Arif Aziz confirmed that at least 10 people had died, including medical staff, patients and their relatives.

Police said the dead included an ambulance driver, a watchman, a dispenser working with the People’s Primary Healthcare Initiative (PPHI) and another health facility employee.

A pregnant woman and two attendants were also among the victims, according to preliminary information from rescue officials.

Images circulated on social media and broadcast by Pakistani television channels showed flames consuming the ambulance, with one of its doors open.

Other images showed the vehicle’s charred remains outside the medical facility as people gathered nearby.

Two midwives and a female attendant at the health centre were among those injured, police said.

The injured were initially transferred to Civil Hospital Mithi, while some were subsequently moved to Karachi for further treatment.

District administration officials, rescue teams and health department personnel rushed to the scene to assist victims and assess the damage.

Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari expressed sorrow over the deaths and ordered a prompt and transparent investigation into the explosion.

He called for stronger safety measures to prevent similar tragedies and extended condolences to the victims’ families, according to Geo News.

Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar also sought detailed reports from senior police and district officials and directed authorities to ensure immediate medical assistance for the injured.

Provincial authorities said initial reports pointed to an oxygen cylinder explosion, but the exact cause had not been officially established.

Specialist teams from Mirpurkhas and Karachi have been called in to examine the evidence and determine what triggered the blast.

Authorities were also working to confirm the identities of all those killed.

The tragedy has renewed concerns about emergency medical transport and safety standards in Tharparkar, a largely arid district where many residents depend on government-run healthcare facilities.

In August, a separate fire triggered by an exploding air conditioner at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences in Islamabad killed 14 newborns. A baby rescued from the nursery later died, raising the death toll to 15.

— With AP inputs