Oxygen cylinder explodes in ambulance at Tharparkar health facility in Pakistan, killing at least nine

An oxygen cylinder exploded inside a parked ambulance at a government-run health facility in Tharparkar district, in Pakistan’s Sindh province, on Wednesday night, 28 October, killing patients, relatives and health workers.

Mithi Deputy Commissioner Hameed Jagirani said on Thursday that the death toll had risen to nine, Dawn reported. Police and hospital officials told the Associated Press that at least 10 people had died. The toll had been put at seven on Wednesday night, and five people suffered burns, according to Dawn.

The explosion happened at a hospital run by the Peoples Primary Healthcare Initiative (PPHI) in the Dano Dhandhal area of Nagarparkar, Dawn reported. Jagirani said the cylinder exploded while it was being set up for a woman who had given birth at a basic health unit and was being moved to the District Headquarters Hospital in Mithi because of complications after surgery. Local police official Khalil Abro told AP that patients were being transferred to another hospital at the time. District police chief Arif Aziz said the dead included health facility staff, patients and their relatives, AP reported.

President Asif Ali Zardari called for a prompt and transparent inquiry into the cause and told authorities to strengthen safety measures, his office said. Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah announced compensation of 2 million rupees for the family of each person killed and ordered an inquiry, Dawn reported. Pakistan Peoples Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari also called for a thorough investigation.

The cause of the explosion has not been officially established.

Figures as reported by officials up to about 11:45am GMT on Thursday 29 October.