A truck carrying liquified petroleum gas caught fire and exploded overnight near an industrial area in central Pakistan, killing six people and injuring more than two dozen others, officials said on Monday.
The explosion in Multan, a city in the eastern Punjab province, substantially damaged nearby shops and homes, and the deaths were caused by the fire and the collapse of roofs of houses, rescue official Mohammad Bilal said.
He said firefighters had extinguished the blaze and officers are investigating to determine exactly what the gas leak in the truck and the subsequent explosion.
At least 31 others were injured in the LPG tanker truck blast, Geo News reported. A total of five people were initially thought to have been killed. However, the death toll rose to six after rescue officials recovered another body, the report said.
A minor girl and two women were among the dead, Geo News said.
Additional inputs from agencies
