35 injured after fire at customs warehouse in Pakistan

At least 35 people suffered burn injuries after fire erupted at a customs warehouse in Mastung area of Pakistan's Balochistan province, which caused explosion of a Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) tanker, local media reported on Monday.

The fire broke at the customs facility in the Lakpass area, located on the Quetta-Karachi highway, on Sunday and rapidly spread to a parking area, engulfing several vehicles before reaching the LPG tanker, leading Pakistani daily Dawn reported.

"A bowser carrying LPG came under huge flames of fire and exploded in the parking area of the customs check post, which caused massive destruction,” an official stated, adding that goods and other items worth billions of rupees were burnt in the fire.

Four of the 35 people injured remain in critical condition.

The fire erupted in a warehouse where customs officials stored seized goods, including precious, smuggled items. It soon engulfed several loaded trucks, other vehicles, and the LPG bowser parked nearby for clearing. The situation escalated following the explosion in the tanker. Mastung Deputy Commissioner and other officials narrowly escaped the explosion.

Emergency services reached at the site of the incident and the injured people were taken to hospitals in Quetta.

Firefighting efforts were impacted by the intensity of the fire and logistical challenges. At least 10 fire tenders tried to bring the fire under control. However, strong winds, the presence of other flammable tankers, and narrow access to the site of the incident affected the operation, Dawn reported. The cause of the fire has not been determined yet.

Indo-Asian News Service