Death toll in Faisalabad glue factory boiler explosion swells to 10

• Blast sparks fire, traps workers and residents under rubble.
• Rescue and Civil Defence race to clear collapsed structures.
• Deputy commissioner supervises search and relief efforts.

FAISALABAD: At least 10 people were killed and seven others were injured on Friday morning when a boiler exploded in a glue-manufacturing chemical factory in Faisalabad’s Malikpur area, bringing the building to the ground and damaging nearby houses. 

Initially, three casualties with multiple injured were reported in the deadly explosion. However, the death toll gradually swelled to 10 after more bodies were pulled out from the debris, while some of the severely injured succumbed to their wounds.

A rescue department spokesperson confirmed that 10 people were dead while seven others were recieving treatment for their injuries from the blast. 

The spokesperson said that the boiler blast in the factory caused the structure to collapse and triggered a fire.

The spox further added that the debris-removal work was underway at the site of explosion and more people are feared to be trapped under the rubble. 

The explosion took place inside the factory’s chemical warehouse, and the blast caused a major part of the factory, including its roof, to collapse.

Behind the premises of the factory, around seven to eight adjoining houses also suffered roof and structural damages, leaving residents as well as factory workers trapped under the rubble. Rescue teams were engaged in search and relief operations, with more debris being removed amid concerns that the casualty toll could rise. 

Meanwhile, civil defence personnel have been called in to assist, and officials said the Faisalabad deputy commissioner is supervising the ongoing rescue and relief efforts at the site.