KARACHI: An oxygen cylinder exploded inside a parked ambulance at a government-run medical facility in southern Pakistan, killing at least 10 people, including a patient of the facility, police and hospital officials said Thursday.
The blast occurred overnight in Tharparkar district in the Sindh province, said district Police Chief Arif Aziz. He said the victims included staff at the medical facility, patients, and their relatives.
Local police official Khalil Abro said patients were being transferred to another hospital when the explosion occurred. Images on social media and on television stations showed flames engulfing a vehicle, with one door open. Another image showed its blackened frame outside a building as people stood nearby.
Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari expressed sorrow over the deaths and called for a prompt, transparent investigation to determine the cause, according to a statement from his office.
He also urged authorities to strengthen safety measures to prevent similar incidents, offered condolences to the victims' families and wished the injured a speedy recovery.
In August, a fire triggered by an exploding air conditioner killed 14 newborns in a nursery at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences in Islamabad. The only baby rescued from the nursery died weeks later, bringing the death toll to 15.