At least 15 dead in factory explosion in Pakistan’s Malikpur area

However, the rescue service later attributed the explosion to a gas leak, as confirmed in the statement issued by Faisalabad Commissioner Raja Jahangir Anwar’s office. “A fire erupted in one of the factories due to gas leakage and engulfed the other factories as well,” a statement by the Rescue 112 read.

The cause of the explosion that took place at the industrial facility in Faisalabad, a city in Punjab province, is being investigated, news agency AP reported, quoting Anwar.

It added that a five-member inquiry team was being constituted to probe the incident, according to Dawn.

The blast caused severe damage to the factory building and spread panic through the area, Jahangir said. The factory also caught fire shortly after the explosion, Anwar told AP.

Leaders express grief

The statement by Anwar’s office said that the rescue operation at the site had been completed and the clearance process was underway, as per Dawn.

The situation was being monitored, it added, with Commissioner Raja saying that “we share the grief of the heirs of those killed in this unfortunate accident”.

Pakistan’s Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz too expressed grief over the loss of lives in the incident, according to a statement issued by her office. She extended her condolences to the bereaved families and sought a report on the incident from the Faisalabad commissioner, it added.

Trade union accuses Punjab govt of negligence

The country’s National Trade Union Federation (NTUF) Secretary General Nasir Mansoor, expressing concerns over the “tragic deaths of labourers” in the incident, accused the Punjab government and the labour department of “criminal negligence.”

A statement issued by the labour organisation quoted Mansoor as saying: “Factories have turned into death [traps] for labourers and industrialists are doling out death certificates… “The Punjab government is directly responsible for the labourers’ death.”

Besides expressing solidarity with the families of the deceased, the NTUF stressed that safe working conditions should be prioritised and demanded Rs 3 million be given in compensation to the family of each labourer killed in the incident, Dawn reported quoting the release.

The organisation also called for the provision of complete and free medical treatment for the injured.

Poor safety standards are a frequent cause of industrial accidents and factory fires in Pakistan. In 2024, a dozen workers were injured in a similar boiler explosion at a textile mill in Faisalabad. Moreover, a blast at a firecrackers factory in Pakistan’s port city of Karachi last week killed four people, according to AP.