At Least 7 Dead and Multiple Others Injured After Explosion at Unauthorized Fireworks Factory: Reports

NEED TO KNOW

• At least seven people and several others are injured after an explosion at a fireworks factory in the city of Hyderabad in Pakistan on Saturday, Nov. 15

• The factory was allegedly operating illegally, according to local media reports and the Deputy Commissioner of Hyderabad

• The cause of the explosion was not immediately known, a local police chief told the Associated Press

At least seven people have reportedly died and several others have been injured after a fireworks factory exploded in Pakistan.

On Saturday, Nov. 15, an explosion took place at a fireworks warehouse that was allegedly illegally operating in the city of Hyderabad in the province of Sindh, according to local media outlets Dawn, The Express Tribune and the Deputy Commissioner of Hyderabad, Mr. Zain-ul-Abedin Memon.

While it was initially reported that there had been three casualties, the death toll increased to seven within a few hours, per The Express Tribune.

It was also previously reported that seven others had sustained injuries, according to Dawn.
The Associated Press reported that 11 people had been injured in the incident, citing police and hospital officials. City police chief Adeel Chandio told the outlet the cause of the blast was not immediately known.

“We have seven injured, of whom three are in critical condition,” Deputy Commissioner Memon told Dawn.

“One [body] was received expired in the burns ward. Six injured were also shifted to the burns ward with moderate to severe burn wounds,” Dr. Vinesh Kumar, a duty doctor at Liaquat University Hospital, told the outlet.

The doctor added that two of the injured had been “approximately 100 per cent” burnt.

In a statement, Rescue 1122 (the Punjab Emergency Services Department) said, “A powerful explosion was reported in a firecracker factory on the banks of the Laghari Goth river, Latifabad Police Station B Section limits,” per Dawn.

A fire also broke out following the explosion, according to the outlet. Plumes of smoke could be seen rising from the building, according to the AP.

PEOPLE has contacted the Punjab Emergency Services Department for comment.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Rescue 1122 spokesperson Dilbar Halepoto told The Express Tribune that the blast was reported at around 4:00 p.m. local time.

Many officials, emergency responders and volunteers worked together to rescue the factory staff members.

Deputy Commissioner Memon announced in a Facebook post on Saturday that the police would be working to close all illegal warehouses and factories and “take strict legal action against persons involved in such activities across the territorial jurisdiction of District Hyderabad.”

According to the AP, the Sindh government said an investigation would determine whether the factory had permission to manufacture fireworks and followed safety procedures.

Read the original article on People