Rescue officials initially reported that the early-morning incident in Faisalabad occurred when a factory boiler exploded, bringing down the building and damaging nearby structures. However, the agency later revised its statement, confirming — along with the Faisalabad commissioner’s office — that the blast was actually caused by a gas leak. The commissioner’s office clarified that no boiler existed at the site and that four industrial units were functioning in the Malikpur locality.
According to the updated official account, a fire triggered by the gas leakage spread rapidly from one factory to the adjacent units, causing widespread destruction. Seven surrounding houses also sustained damage, and Rescue 1122 said the impact of the explosion led to the collapse of the factory roof as well as the roofs of nearby homes. Authorities later recovered 15 bodies from the debris, raising the death toll above the earlier figure of 10 released by the rescue service.
The commissioner’s office added that 10 injured individuals were shifted to Allied Hospital, where three were discharged after receiving first aid. A five-member inquiry committee is being formed to determine the exact cause and assess responsibility. Officials confirmed that rescue operations had concluded and that the site clearance process was in progress, with Commissioner Raja Jahangir Anwar extending condolences to the families of the victims.
Rescue 1122, in a separate statement, said the emergency response was led by the district emergency officer, with more than 20 ambulances and fire trucks participating in the operation. The control room received the first alert at 5:28am, and video footage shared by the service showed teams searching through collapsed structures in hopes of locating survivors.
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz also expressed sorrow over the fatalities and asked the commissioner for a detailed report. Meanwhile, Inspector General of Police Dr Usman Anwar instructed all relevant departments — including traffic police — to ensure full support for rescue teams and unhindered access to the site. The incident follows a similar factory-related explosion last April, when a steam boiler blast in a Faisalabad textile mill injured a dozen workers.
