THARPARKAR: The death toll from an oxygen cylinder blast in an ambulance parked at a health facility in Tharparkar, Sindh, climbed to 10 after one of the injured died en route to Karachi, rescue officials said.
The ambulance, operated by the People’s Primary Healthcare Initiative (PPHI), caught fire while staff were changing its oxygen cylinder, rescue officials said. One injured person died while being transported to Karachi, bringing the death toll to nine.
Pregnant woman among the victims
Assistant Commissioner Nagarparkar Erum Karim Narejo said the ambulance was parked at the basic health unit when the explosion occurred.
Hospital officials said a pregnant woman was inside the ambulance as staff began fitting the oxygen cylinder. The blast triggered a fire that killed several people.
Police said those killed included a PPHI dispenser, the ambulance driver, a watchman and another employee. A pregnant woman and two attendants were also reported among the victims.
Two midwives and a female attendant at the health center were among the injured, police said. The injured received initial treatment at Civil Hospital Mithi before being shifted to Karachi for further care.
Sindh Minister seeks incident report
Sindh Home Minister and Law Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar took notice of the incident and sought details from the Tharparkar senior superintendent of police and deputy commissioner, a spokesperson said.
Lanjar directed officials to ensure prompt medical treatment for the injured and expressed condolences to the families of those killed.
A provincial government spokesperson said initial reports pointed to an oxygen cylinder explosion. Specialist teams from Mirpurkhas and Karachi were called in to examine the evidence as authorities worked to establish the identities of the deceased.
The exact cause of the explosion has not been officially confirmed.
The incident has drawn attention to healthcare and emergency transport challenges in Tharparkar, an arid district where residents often depend on public health facilities for medical care.
In October 2019, a separate incident at Civil Hospital Mithi highlighted concerns over emergency transport after the hospital reportedly refused to provide an ambulance to carry the body of a deceased infant, citing a lack of funds for fuel.
The earlier case was unrelated to the latest explosion but underscored difficulties in accessing emergency transport in the district.
