At least six persons including two real brothers were killed and several others sustained burn wounds due to blast in a fireworks factory here in Hafizabad on Sunday morning.
According to details, fire caused by an electric short circuit erupted in a fireworks factory located in Thatta Khokhran area of Hafizabad city causing multiple blasts.
As a result of explosions four persons including two real brothers Zafar Iqbal and Arshad and two labourers were killed on the spot while 10 others suffered severed burn wounds.
The blasts were heard in the areas surrounding the fireworks factory and people rushed out of homes in panic.
Rescue personnel reached the scene and started the rescue operation. The bodies and injured were shifted to District Headquarter (DHQ) Hospital Hafizabad where two injured persons succumbed to their wounds raising the death toll to six.
According to hospital sources condition of some other injured people was also serious and it was feared that death toll may rise further.
It is worth mentioning that dozen of illegal fireworks factories were functional in various districts of Punjab. Explosions in firework factories due to various reasons have caused several lives during recent years.
The citizens have demanded the provincial government to take strict action against illegal fireworks factories to give protection to public lives.