KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has announced compensation of Rs 2 million each for the families of nine people killed in an ambulance accident in Tharparkar.
The chief minister directed authorities to ensure the provision of the best possible medical facilities to all those injured in the accident.
He also instructed the chief secretary to conduct a transparent inquiry through the Health Department and submit a report.
Murad Ali Shah directed officials to ensure arrangements for the funeral rites of the deceased and ordered Sindh Assembly member Qasim Soomro to reach Nagarparkar and oversee relief and administrative measures.
The chief minister expressed deep sorrow and grief over the loss of precious human lives and extended his heartfelt condolences and sympathies to the bereaved families.
Meanwhile, Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari took notice of the incident involving the explosion of an oxygen cylinder in an ambulance operated by the Peoples Primary Healthcare Initiative (PPHI) in Tharparkar.
Bilawal said the loss of precious lives in the oxygen cylinder explosion in Dano Dhandhal, Tharparkar, was deeply distressing.
He expressed solidarity with the families of the deceased and prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured.
The PPP chairman also directed authorities to conduct a comprehensive and transparent investigation into the incident and bring the facts to light.
He said that if the tragic incident resulted from negligence or a criminal act, those responsible should be given the strictest possible punishment.
Bilawal further directed authorities to review the existing system in Tharparkar and ensure effective measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Earlier, nine people were killed and four others injured when a cylinder exploded inside an ambulance in Dano Dhandhal, Nagarparkar, in Sindh’s Tharparkar district, officials said.
According to the assistant commissioner, the explosion occurred in a Peoples Primary Healthcare Initiative (PPHI) ambulance parked at a Basic Health Unit (BHU) Plus facility.
The fire broke out while an oxygen cylinder was being replaced in the ambulance, triggering the deadly blast, the official said.
The deceased included a pregnant woman, two attendants and four hospital staff members, according to the assistant commissioner.
The injured were shifted to Civil Hospital Mithi for medical treatment.
Administrative officials, rescue teams and Health Department personnel were present at the scene to oversee emergency response and relief operations, the assistant commissioner added.
