Death toll from Thar ambulance fire rises to nine: district official

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Key context: <p>HYDERABAD: The death toll from an ambulance fire in Sindh’s Tharparkar rose to nine on Thursday, according to Mithi Deputy Commissioner Hameed Jagirani.</p> <p>The incident occurred on Wednesday night when an oxygen cylinder exploded in an ambulance at a Peoples Primary Healthcare Initiative (PPHI)-run hospital in the Dano Dhandhal area of Nagarparkar taluka.</p> <p>Jagirani said the blast occurred in an oxygen cylinder while it was being managed for a female patient in the ambulance.</p> <p>The woman had given birth to a baby boy at a basic health unit and was being shifted to the District Headquarters Hospital in Mithi due to post-surgical complications when the incident occurred.</p> <p>PPHI District Manager Ibrahim Kumbhar said the deceased also included some staff members of the health facility.</p> <p>President Asif Ali Zardari has ordered a transparent inquiry to determine the cause of the fire.</p> <p>A statement issued by the Presidency said he had also directed the authorities to strengthen safety measures to prevent such incidents in the future.</p> <p>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.</p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media-- media--embed media--uneven media--tweet' data-original-src='https://x.com/PresOfPakistan/status/2115660528337166498'> <div class='media__item media__item--twitter '><span> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"> <a href="https://twitter.com/PresOfPakistan/status/2115660528337166498"></a> </blockquote> </span></div> </figure> <p>Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Thursday announced compensation of Rs2 million each for the families of the nine people killed in the incident.</p> <p>CM Murad also directed the authorities to ensure that the injured were provided with the best possible medical facilities.</p> <p>He also ordered a transparent inquiry into the incident and directed PPP MPA Qasim Soomro to travel to Nagarparkar to oversee relief efforts.</p> <p>PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari also took notice of the incident and called for a thorough and transparent investigation to establish the facts.</p> <p>Describing the loss of life as deeply distressing, he expressed solidarity with the bereaved families and prayed for the early recovery of the injured.</p> <p>The PPP chairman said those responsible should face the strictest punishment if the incident was found to have resulted from human negligence or a criminal act.</p> <p>He also called for a review of existing arrangements and the adoption of effective measures to prevent similar incidents in Tharparkar.</p> <p>The explosion <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/2040540/seven-killed-five-injured-as-ambulance-catches-fire-at-thar-hospital">occurred</a> while an ambulance was being prepared to transfer patients to another hospital. An oxygen cylinder was being connected when it exploded.</p> <p>The death toll was reported at seven on Wednesday night, while five people sustained burn injuries.</p> This development from dawn.com highlights ongoing changes in the sector.