KARACHI: The negligence and lack of interest from the traffic police have turned the illegal use of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) cylinders in public transport into a major threat to commuters’ lives. The severe risks of this practice manifested late Monday night near the Gharib Nawaz Stop at GPO Chowk in Korangi, where an LPG cylinder installed in a rickshaw exploded during refueling. The blast injured six people, including a father and his two minor daughters, who were all rushed to the Civil Hospital’s Burns Ward for immediate medical treatment.
According to Korangi SHO Malik Ashfaq, the rickshaw driver was refueling the gas cylinder outside an LPG shop while a man and his two young daughters were sitting inside the vehicle. The substandard cylinder suddenly exploded, causing widespread panic and fear in the area. The police have identified the injured victims as 36-year-old Mahfeez-ur-Rehman, his two daughters—two-year-old Zainab and seven-year-old Zakira—the rickshaw driver Sabir, the LPG shop employee Faizan, and a pedestrian named Irshad.
The powerful explosion completely destroyed the rickshaw, which has now been taken into police custody as authorities launch a formal investigation into the incident. Despite an official ban on the use of LPG cylinders in public transport due to them acting as “ticking time bombs,” hundreds of LPG shops continue to operate openly across Karachi. Rickshaw drivers flout these safety regulations without any fear of accountability, primarily because the traffic police consistently turn a blind eye to the illegal installation and refueling of these dangerous gas cylinders, directly putting the lives of citizens at risk.
