• Explosion occurs in Killi Mahmoodabad on outskirts of border town
• Children gathered at a tribal elder’s house to receive yoghurt after breaking their fast
• President Zardari extends condolences to victims’ families
QUETTA: Seven children aged between 8 and 14 years were killed and 22 others, including women and children, were injured when a gas cylinder exploded in a house in Chaman, a town on the Pak-Afghan border, on Thursday.
Officials said the tragic incident occurred in Killi Mahmoodabad, a locality on the outskirts of the district headquarters, Chaman.
According to police officials, children from neighbouring houses had gathered at the house of one of a tribal elder to receive yoghurt to eat after breaking their fast. Meanwhile, a powerful explosion occurred in the kitchen, rocking the border town. The blast blew off the roof of the kitchen and damaged other rooms of the house. The children waiting for yoghurt were buried under the debris.
Rescue teams, along with police, rushed to the site and launched a rescue operation. “Seven children were found dead when the debris was removed,” police said, adding that 22 injured persons, including four women and 18 children, were shifted to the Civil Hospital Chaman.
“We had received seven bodies of children and 22 injured at the Civil Hospital Chaman,” Dr Owais, Medical Superintendent of the hospital, confirmed. He added that the injured included four women and 18 children.
Police said the intensity of the blast completely destroyed the kitchen and badly damaged other rooms of the house. “The children lost their lives after being buried under the debris, while the injured were also trapped beneath the rubble,” officials said, adding that the women injured in the blast were cooking food when the gas cylinder exploded.
Four women and six children who sustained serious injuries were later shifted to the Civil Hospital Quetta for further treatment.
The district administration expressed deep sorrow and grief over the incident, extended condolences to the families of the deceased children, and ordered an investigation to determine the cause of the explosion.
Authorities have urged citizens to take precautionary measures while using domestic gas cylinders to prevent such tragic incidents in the future.
Meanwhile, in a statement, President Asif Ali Zardari extended his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families, particularly those who lost their children in the blast. “I share the grief of the families who have lost their loved ones, and my thoughts are with them during this difficult time,” he said.
“May the departed souls rest in peace, and may the bereaved families be granted patience and strength,” he added. The president also prayed for the speedy recovery of those injured in the incident.
Published in Dawn, February 27th, 2026
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