ISLAMABAD: The death toll from a boiler blast in Pakistan’s eastern city of Faisalabad on Friday has risen to 20, state media reported as Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz took notice of the incident.
Rescue officials said on Friday at least 15 people were killed and seven injured in what they described as a boiler explosion in the industrial city of Faisalabad in Pakistan’s Punjab province, prompting a large-scale urban search and rescue operation.
Boiler explosions are a recurring industrial hazard in Pakistan, particularly in Punjab’s textile manufacturing belt, where outdated equipment, poor maintenance and weak regulatory enforcement have caused major accidents over the past decade. Faisalabad, a key textile hub, has seen several industrial fires and structural collapses linked to unsafe industrial practices.
According to the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP), the blast took place in Crystal Chemical Factory near Shahab Town’s Kabaddi Stadium Ground, flattening part of a building and trapping multiple families beneath the rubble. Rescue teams later recovered more bodies from the rubble.
“Death toll in factory explosion has risen to 20 after expiry of 6 more victims here on Friday while Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz took notice of the incident and sought an urgent report,” the APP said.
