CaliToday (16/11/2025): Blast levels building in Hyderabad, Sindh province, prompting an immediate investigation into safety protocols and the legality of the operation.
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| This is a locator map for Pakistan with its capital, Islamabad, and the Kashmir region. (AP Photo) |
A powerful explosion tore through a fireworks factory in the southern Pakistani city of Hyderabad on Saturday, killing at least four people and injuring 11 others, according to local police and hospital officials.
The blast, which occurred in a densely populated area, was strong enough to completely collapse the building where the pyrotechnics were being manufactured.
Eyewitnesses and local media captured the immediate, chaotic aftermath. Footage shared widely on social media showed thick, black plumes of smoke billowing hundreds of feet into the air from the flattened wreckage. Frantic rescue efforts began immediately as neighbors and emergency services rushed to the scene to pull victims from the rubble.
City Police Chief Adeel Chandio confirmed the casualty figures to reporters. He stated that rescuers had transported the dead and the injured many suffering from severe burns and blast-related trauma to a nearby hospital.
"The cause of the blast is not immediately known," Chandio said, adding that a full investigation has been launched.
The incident has drawn an immediate response from the provincial government, which is now facing scrutiny over industrial safety enforcement.
The Sindh government released a statement vowing a thorough investigation. The inquiry will focus on two critical questions: whether the factory "had permission to manufacture fireworks" and, if so, whether it "followed [mandatory] safety procedures."
Tragically, deadly explosions at fireworks facilities and storage sites are common in Pakistan, where safety regulations are often poorly enforced or ignored, especially at smaller, unlicensed operations.
This latest tragedy serves as a grim reminder of the dangers. In August, a similar blast at a fireworks storage site in the southern port city of Karachi killed five people, highlighting the persistent risks within the loosely regulated industry.