Pakistan Faisalabad Factory Blast: At least 15 people died after an explosion at a glue-making factory in eastern Pakistan on Friday. A report said that seven people were injured in the blast which occurred at the industrial facility in Faisalabad, a city in Punjab province.
According to a statement issued by the commissioner’s office as reported by Dawn, initial details suggested that the incident occurred when a boiler exploded at the factory, causing the building to cave in.
Authorities explain what happened
The rescue service later revised its assessment, and attributed the blast to a gas leak, the report added. The commissioner’s statement clarified that no boiler had been installed at the factory and noted that four industrial units were operating in the Malikpur locality.
It said that “a fire erupted in one of the factories due to gas leakage and engulfed the other factories as well.” Seven nearby houses were also affected, with roofs collapsing after the blast.
According to the commissioner’s office, “15 bodies had been pulled out from the rubble,” raising the toll from the earlier figure of 10 reported by Rescue 1122.
Local administrator Raja Jahangir earlier had said the cause of the explosion was being investigated, reported AP. It added the explosion terribly damaged the factory building and spread panic across the area. It was the boiler that exploded first, and then the factory also caught fire, he said.
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif expressed her condolences and asked authorities to ensure the best possible medical care for the injured.
Notably, poor safety standards have been a forever concern and reason for frequent industrial accidents and factory fires in Pakistan. In 2024, a dozen workers were injured in a similar boiler explosion at a textile mill in Faisalabad. Also last week, a blast at a firecrackers factory in Pakistan’s port city of Karachi killed four people.
