Death toll in Thar ambulance cylinder blast rises to 10

Death toll in Thar ambulance cylinder blast rises to 10

MITHI: The death toll in Wednesday night’s ambulance fire incident at a Peoples Primary Healthcare Initiative-run health centre in Tharparkar rose to 10 after another victim, a newborn, died at Karachi’s Trauma Centre. The fire had left seven people dead on the spot and another six injured. It was caused after the oxygen cylinder in the ambulance reportedly exploded while a patient was being shifted to the vehicle at the basic health centre of Dano Dhandhal, situated in the Nagarparkar taluka. One of the injured victims, Jaswant Meghwar died on the way to the Mithi Civil Hospital and another one, a woman identified as Rajoo Meghwar, wife of Chetan Meghwar, died while she was being transported to Karachi. The newborn, Suresh Meghar, succumbed to his injuries on Thursday. The other nine deceased were identified as ambulance driver Pandhi Rajar, watchman Ishaq Thebo, dispenser Deenu Mal Meghwar, Pradeep Bheel, Lachman Meghwar, Mrs Karmoon Meghwar and Mrs Ladoo Meghwar. All routine activities in the Dano Dhandhal village remained suspended in mourning on Thursday. President Asif Ali Zardari has ordered a transparent inquiry to determine the cause of the fire. A statement issued by the Presidency said he had also directed the authorities to strengthen safety measures to prevent such incidents in the future. The president expressed grief over the loss of life and extended his condolences to the bereaved families, while wishing the injured a speedy recovery, the statement added. Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Thursday announced compensation of Rs2 million each for the families of those killed in the incident. CM Murad also directed the authorities to ensure that the injured were provided with the best possible medical facilities. He also ordered a transparent inquiry into the incident and directed PPP MPA Qasim Soomro to travel to Nagarparkar to oversee relief efforts. PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari also took notice of the incident and called for a thorough and transparent investigation to establish the facts. Published in Dawn, October 30th, 2026