Pakistan: At least 15 killed and 16 injured after explosion in sewers under a bank in Karachi | world News

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At least 15 people were killed and 16 injured after a powerful explosion in the sewage system under a bank in southern Pakistan.

A young boy was among the victims pulled from the rubble after the explosion, which police believe was caused by a gas leak below the building in Karachi’s Sher Shah district, on Saturday.

A branch of Habib Bank Limited (HBL), the largest bank in Pakistan, appears to have been built on top of a sewage bank.

Photo: The explosion is believed to have been caused by gas – but terrorism is not ruled out. Pic: AP

The building was destroyed, the floor torn, exposing twisted iron bars, while furniture was left covered in sewage.

Several cars parked nearby were also damaged, while wrecks were thrown at a gas station near the bank.

Police officer Shargil Kharal told reporters that it was not immediately clear how many people were killed or injured in the blast, as the bank had a skeleton of employees.

Murtaza Wahab, an administrative official in Karachi, said 15 people have died so far, while 16 others have been taken to hospital.

In a statement on Twitter, HBL said that an “unfortunate incident involving an explosion” had damaged the Sher Shah branch and caused casualties and injuries.

“Our sympathies are with the families of the victims,” ​​she added. “We are closely monitoring the situation under the guidance of the authorities,” he added.

Photo: Rescue teams at the site of the blast in Karachi. Pic: AP Photo / Fareed Khan

A team of explosives experts has been deployed to investigate.

They did not rule out the possibility that the cause of the explosion was militants.

Police officer Sarvar Nawaz Sheikh said, “We are trying to find out the cause of the explosion, and we will give a report based on the bomb disposal (squad) statement. It appears that it happened due to the build-up of gas in the sewers. It was a terrorist attack.”

“We will come out with a clear copy once the explosive experts have completed their work.”

Image: The floor of the HBL branch has been shattered. Pic: AP Photo / Fareed Khan

Witness Mohamed Samir left the bank moments before the explosion and rushed to help the people inside.

“Thank God, I left the place, otherwise I would have also been among those affected,” he said.

Another witness, Muhammad Arslan, said: “There were many wounded and trapped under the rubble. There was a child trapped under the rubble. We took him out. I pulled about 15 people from here with the help of other people here.”

A number of city sewage canals are said to have been covered, often illegally, by concrete structures.

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