Explosion at glue factory in eastern Pakistan kills at least 16

Preliminary investigations amusement a state leak triggered the explosion, which besides flattened adjacent homes, authorities say.

An detonation astatine a glue-making mill successful Pakistan has killed astatine slightest 16 radical and injured 7 aft it collapsed the mill and sparked fires successful adjacent homes, Pakistani media are reporting.

The blast occurred astatine astir 5am section clip (00:00 GMT) connected Friday successful the Malikpur country of Faisalabad, westbound of Lahore successful Punjab province.

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Preliminary investigations showed a state leak wrong the factory’s chemic warehouse triggered the explosion, section outlets reported, citing Faisalabad Commissioner Raja Jahangir Anwar.

Authorities arrested the mill manager but were inactive searching for the owner, who fled soon aft the incident.

The blast flattened the factory’s extortion and those of a fistful of adjacent homes, causing fires to interruption retired successful astatine slightest 3 of them, according to Pakistani transmission Aaj TV. Photos published by the transmission showed flames leaping up from a cardinal blast tract and rescue crews crowding into the interior of a burning building.

The bulk of those killed were residents from adjacent homes, including six children, authorities said.

Rescue crews searched for and dug radical retired of piles of rubble, according to TV transmission Geo News. The 7 injured radical were receiving attraction astatine a adjacent hospital.

Factory fires are not uncommon successful the country. In 2024, an detonation astatine a textile mill successful Faisalabad killed a twelve people, portion a blast astatine a firecracker mill successful Karachi killed 4 radical and injured 11 much past week.