An oxygen cylinder explosion set an ambulance ablaze at a health facility in Nagarparkar, Sindh. Officials are investigating the incident as reports of casualties continue to change.
WEB DESK: An oxygen cylinder explosion inside an ambulance at a healthcare facility in Tharparkar district, Sindh, has killed multiple people and injured others, according to rescue officials.
The ambulance, operated by the People’s Primary Healthcare Initiative (PPHI), caught fire late Wednesday while medical staff were preparing to transfer a patient. The incident occurred at a health facility in Dano Dhandhal village in the Nagarparkar area.
How Did the Ambulance Catch Fire?
According to hospital administration and rescue officials cited in news reports, staff were handling or replacing an oxygen cylinder in the ambulance when an explosion occurred.
The blast reportedly ignited a fire that engulfed the vehicle.
Hospital administration told Geo News that a pregnant woman was inside the ambulance when staff began fitting the oxygen cylinder. Reports identified patients, attendants and healthcare workers among the victims.
The precise technical cause of the explosion has not been independently established. Authorities are investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Injured People Taken for Treatment
Rescue personnel and local authorities responded to the incident, while injured people were taken to nearby healthcare facilities.
Five people had suffered serious burns in the incident. Other reports subsequently published different casualty figures, highlighting the need for an updated official account of both deaths and injuries.
The final number of injured people, their identities and their medical conditions should be confirmed through the district administration or relevant hospitals.
Authorities Investigating the Explosion
Officials from the district administration, rescue services and health authorities responded to the incident.
According to reprot, expert teams were being called in to examine the evidence and help establish the cause of the explosion. Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar also took notice of the incident and sought details from relevant district officials, the report said.
The investigation is expected to examine the circumstances in which the oxygen cylinder was being handled, the ambulance’s condition and the safety procedures followed at the facility.
No conclusion about negligence or individual responsibility should be drawn until the findings are established.
Concerns Over Emergency Healthcare Services
The incident has renewed attention on emergency medical transport and healthcare facilities in Tharparkar, a largely arid district of Sindh.
Residents in remote areas can face challenges accessing specialised medical treatment, making safe ambulance services particularly important.
However, any claim that inadequate facilities or a breach of safety procedures contributed to this particular incident must be supported by the findings of the official investigation.
