At least 10 people were killed when an oxygen cylinder exploded inside a parked ambulance at a government-run health facility in Tharparkar district of Sindh overnight, police and hospital officials said on Thursday 29 October.

Victims included patients and health workers

The blast struck at a basic health unit facility in the Nagarparkar area, where the ambulance, operated by the People's Primary Healthcare Initiative (PPHI), caught fire while staff were changing its oxygen cylinder, according to rescue officials.

Investigation ordered as condolences pour in

Those killed included a pregnant woman who was still inside the ambulance when staff began fitting the cylinder, along with two attendants, a PPHI dispenser, the ambulance driver, a watchman and another employee, police said. Two midwives and a female attendant at the health centre were among the injured.

The injured were first taken to Civil Hospital Mithi for treatment, and some were later shifted to Karachi for further care. One of the injured died while being taken to Karachi, taking the death toll to 10, rescue officials said.

President Asif Ali Zardari expressed grief over the deaths and called for a swift and transparent investigation to establish the cause of the explosion, according to a statement from his office. He also urged authorities to strengthen safety measures to prevent similar incidents.

Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar has sought details from the Tharparkar senior superintendent of police and deputy commissioner, and expert teams from Mirpurkhas and Karachi have been called in to examine the evidence. The exact sequence of events has not yet been formally determined.

Sources: The Business Standard (UNB/AP) and The News.