Explosion destroys neighboring homes; The search operation was intensified due to fears that there were more victims.
At least 19 people have been killed and several others injured after an explosion inside a chemical factory in Malikpur area of ​​Faisalabad.
The factory’s boiler or “kitchen,” which is used to heat chemicals, is suspected to have exploded.
The explosion, which occurred around 6 a.m., was so powerful that it caused the roofs of six surrounding homes to collapse, rescue officials said. Another 11 houses were also damaged.
A family of four, including a husband, wife and their two children, died when the roof of their house adjacent to the factory collapsed, burying them under the rubble. Among the dead were six children, two women, two elderly people and factory workers.
Immediately after the explosion, locals launched their own rescue efforts, pulling bodies from the rubble before emergency services arrived. Rescue teams have since taken over operations at the scene and transported the injured to hospitals for treatment, where six people are reportedly in critical condition.
Search operations have intensified as authorities fear more victims may be trapped under the rubble.
