A gas cylinder explosion followed by a fire in a residential building near the Hyderi area in North Nazimabad on Sunday resulted in the death of a 15-year-old boy and injuries to several others, including a pregnant woman.

Rescue authorities said that the fire broke out on the 10th floor of the building but had been brought under control.

The cooling process is still ongoing.

According to rescue sources, panic spread among the residents after the explosion.

Emergency teams extinguished the fire and safely evacuated all those trapped in the building.

The injured were shifted to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital for medical treatment.

The deceased child has been identified as 15-year-old Mustafa, son of Aoun Ali.

His family has taken the body for burial at the Sakhi Hassan graveyard.

Initial reports mention the deaths of two more individuals, a 7-year-old child and a 50-year-old man, but official confirmation is awaited.

The injured include Fatima (30), wife of Haneen; Ansia (4), daughter of Haneen; Tasneem (70), and Haneen (40), son of Fazal Abbas.

A Rescue 1122 spokesperson confirmed that the rescue operation has been completed, and cooling operations were underway as a precautionary measure to prevent any re-ignition.

According to initial investigations, the explosion was caused by a gas cylinder blast, but a thorough inquiry is underway to determine the exact cause.

Sindh CM orders probe

Meanwhile, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has taken notice of the incident and has asked the Karachi commissioner for a detailed report.

The chief minister has instructed that the injured receive the best medical treatment and that measures be taken to prevent such incidents in the future once the causes of the explosion are determined.