16 people have died and several others are injured due to a boiler explosion at a chemical factory in Faisalabad.

The incident, as reported by Pakistan’s emergency service Rescue 1122, was so intense that it caused the roofs of multiple nearby homes to collapse. One house next to the factory fell, trapping a couple and their two children beneath the debris, all of whom perished.

Among the deceased are six children, two women, two elderly individuals, and a factory worker.

Local residents played a crucial role in the rescue efforts, helping to recover bodies from the wreckage, while rescue teams continued their work at the site. The injured were taken to local hospitals for treatment.

Authorities are worried that more individuals might be trapped under the rubble and have ramped up their search efforts to find additional victims.

The rescue service later indicated that the explosion was caused by a gas leak, a fact that was corroborated by a statement from Faisalabad Commissioner Raja Jahangir Anwar’s office.

The commissioner’s office noted that there was no boiler in the factory and mentioned that four factories were operational in the Malikpur area. "A fire broke out in one of the factories due to a gas leak, which then spread to the other factories as well."

The deputy commissioner of Faisalabad stated that legal action will be pursued against the factory owners.