A powerful boiler explosion at a glue-manufacturing factory in Malikpur, Faisalabad, in the east of Pakistan killed at least 18 people and injured several others, Pakistani media reported on Friday, in one of the deadliest industrial accidents to hit the area in years.
The blast tore through the factory and ripped apart parts of nine or ten nearby homes, trapping residents and workers under the debris. The explosion also ignited a large fire that quickly engulfed the building. Rescue officials told local outlets that chemical materials inside the factory made firefighting difficult, prompting authorities to deploy 15 fire tenders to contain the blaze.
According to Pakistani news reports, the bodies recovered from the site included men, women, and children. At least ten injured people were transported to nearby hospitals, with seven listed in critical condition. Three others were discharged after initial treatment.
Faisalabad Commissioner Raja Jahangir Anwar told reporters that investigators suspect a gas leak triggered the blast. Many of the victims lived in the densely packed residential neighborhood surrounding the factory, where homes and industrial workshops sit side by side.
Deputy Commissioner Nadeem Nasir said the factory, about 25 years old, is one of roughly 100 small industrial units that have become interwoven with expanding residential areas, creating what he described as “complex safety-monitoring challenges.”
Provincial leaders responded quickly. Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz was said to be monitoring rescue and relief efforts closely. Initial reports put the death toll at three, but the number climbed as rescue teams cleared debris and several critically injured victims died in hospital.
Police have arrested the factory manager, identified as Bilal, while the factory owner, Qaiser Chughtai, has reportedly fled. Authorities said search operations were continuing to locate him.
Punjab’s Inspector General of Police, Usman Anwar, ordered emergency services, fire brigades and other departments to maintain full cooperation at the site. He also directed officers to continue searching for anyone who may still be trapped and instructed traffic police to keep routes clear for ambulances and rescue vehicles.
Pakistani media cautioned that casualty figures may change as rescue operations continue.
