Seven people were killed and five others injured on Wednesday night after an ambulance caught fire following a suspected gas cylinder explosion at a rural health centre in Tharparkar, Sindh.

The incident occurred at around 10:40pm at the health centre in Dano Dandal village, located in Nagarparkar tehsil. Rescue 1122 official Habibullah said staff were transferring a patient into the ambulance when the explosion occurred.

Rescue teams and local officials rushed to the scene after receiving reports of the incident. Nagarparkar Assistant Commissioner Iram Karim also reached the site.

Rescue personnel shifted the injured to hospitals in Mithi and Nagarparkar for treatment. The injured reportedly included health centre staff who were helping transfer the patient.

Authorities were working to identify the deceased and determine the cause of the explosion. The ambulance was completely destroyed by the fire.

The vehicle belonged to the Pakistan People’s Primary Healthcare Initiative (PPHI), which also operated the rural health centre.

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President Zardari Expresses Grief

President Asif Ali Zardari expressed grief over the loss of lives in the incident, which he described as an oxygen cylinder explosion in an ambulance in Tharparkar.

In a statement posted on X, the president offered condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for the speedy recovery of those injured.

He called for a transparent investigation to establish the cause of the incident without delay.

The president also stressed the need to strengthen safety measures to prevent similar tragedies in the future.