Twisted metal, broken bricks and charred rubble mark the ruins of a chemical factory in Malikpur, Faisalabad. Photo: Online
FAISALABAD:
A powerful explosion at a chemical factory in Faisalabad’s Malikpur area on Friday sparked a massive fire and caused ten nearby houses to collapse, killing at least 20 people and injuring seven others, according to rescue officials.
The explosion, which occurred early in the morning at a factory producing adhesives near Shahab Town’s Kabaddi stadium, was heard across the city. Flames quickly engulfed the factory and spread to adjacent structures, causing roofs and walls of nearby homes to collapse and trapping entire families under the rubble.
Among the victims are women, children, the elderly and factory workers.
1,122 rescue teams, supported by heavy machinery and 150 personnel, recovered bodies and survivors during a ten-hour operation supervised by Engineer Ehtisham Wahla, District Emergency Officer (DEO). A total of 31 rescue vehicles were deployed to the scene.
Meanwhile, traffic police kept the route to Allied Hospital clear while the dead and injured were transported. The district administration imposed an emergency in both allied hospitals and summoned senior doctors.
According to authorities, the victims included 10 members of two families. Among the deceased were Fakhra Bibi, 42, her three young children Jannat, Maham and Ali Husnain, as well as Maqsooda Bibi, 62, her husband Muhammad Shafiq, her son Muhammad Irfan and several children from neighboring homes.
The youngest victims were only one, two, three and four years old.
Among the injured are Riffat Bibi (32), Younis (65), Moazzam (17), Liaqat (55), Ahsan (30), Nadeem (16) and Ashraf (15).
Rescue workers said breathing became difficult during the operation due to chemical fumes, forcing rescuers to wear masks.
Faisalabad Deputy Commissioner Captain (r) Nadeem Nisar, SSP Operations Officer Nasser Mahmood Bajwa, Traffic Chief and SP Madina Town supervised the rescue effort at the spot. Residents of Malikpur also joined emergency teams in removing debris and helping victims.
Reacting to the tragedy, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz and National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq expressed deep grief over the tragedy and sought a detailed report from Faisalabad Commissioner Raja Jahangir Anwar.
They conducted a full investigation into the explosion.
According to the FIR lodged at Mansoorabad police station, sub-inspector Ahtisham Abbas stated that while on patrol he received a call about the explosion.
Arriving at the scene, he found the factory and nearby houses demolished and the victims trapped. Local residents were already trying to get people out until rescue teams arrived.
The FIR alleges that factory owner Qaiser Chughtai, manager Bilal Ali Imran and five employees had been repeatedly warned about storing “hazardous and highly flammable chemical materials” in a container next to a populated area.
Residents had filed multiple complaints fearing a major disaster.
Police said the owners ignored warnings and continued storing dangerous chemicals until the container exploded, killing 20 people and injuring seven.
A case has been registered under sections 302, 324, 336B, 440, 147, 149, section 3/4 of the Explosives Act and 7-ATA. The police have launched a search for the owner, manager and employees of the factory mentioned in the FIR.
