Pregnant woman among 7 killed in oxygen cylinder blast at Tharparkar health centre

• Oxygen cylinder blast sets PPHI ambulance ablaze.
• AC confirms ambulance fire deaths at health facility.
• Injured shifted to Mithi as teams probe deadly explosion.

THARPARKAR: Seven people, including four hospital employees, a pregnant woman and two attendants, were killed when an oxygen cylinder exploded in a parked ambulance at a basic health unit (BHU) Plus facility in Tharparkar, rescue officials said.

The ambulance, operated by the People's Primary Healthcare Initiative (PPHI), was parked at the health facility when the explosion occurred, Assistant Commissioner Nagarparkar Erum Karim Narejo said, according to local reports.

Rescue officials said the fire broke out while staff changed the ambulance's oxygen cylinder.

Hospital administration said the pregnant woman was still inside the ambulance when staff began fitting the cylinder. An explosion during the process triggered the fire.

The injured were shifted to Civil Hospital Mithi for treatment, the assistant commissioner said. 

The identification of those who died was underway, while teams from the district administration, rescue services and the health department were present at the scene.

The incident has drawn attention to the challenges facing healthcare services in Tharparkar, a largely arid district where residents often depend on public health facilities for medical care and emergency transport.

In a report published in October 2019, Geo.tv highlighted difficulties in accessing ambulance services at Civil Hospital Mithi. 

The hospital had refused to provide an ambulance to transport the body of a deceased infant, citing a lack of funds for fuel. 

The earlier case is separate from the current incident but illustrates concerns over the availability of emergency transport in the district.

The cause of the explosion has yet to be officially confirmed.