13 hours ago

Gabriela Pomeroyand

Usman Zahid,in Islamabad

A newly married couple were killed when a gas cylinder exploded at a house in Islamabad where they were sleeping after their wedding party, police have said.

A further six people - including wedding guests and family members - who were staying there also died in the blast. More than a dozen people were injured.

The explosion took place at 07:00 local time (02:00 GMT) on Sunday, causing the roof to collapse.

Parts of the walls were blown away, leaving piles of bricks, large concrete slabs and furniture strewn across the floor. Injured people were trapped under the rubble and had to be carried out on stretchers by rescue workers.

Emergency workers said the blast happened due to gas leakage, which filled the room and then exploded. Three neighbouring houses were also damaged.

The chairman of Pakistan's Senate, Yusuf Raza Gilani, called it "a heart-wrenching incident that turned celebrations into mourning".

Hanif Masih, the father of the groom, said his son had been married the previous day, and the newlywed couple, along with family members and guests, were sleeping in the house at the time of the explosion.

Masih said everyone went to bed around 03:00 local time on Sunday (22:00 GMT on Saturday), and woke up to the devastation.

Along with his son, his daughter-in-law, wife and sister-in-law were all killed.

Police said they had cordoned off the area and were investigating the circumstances of the blast. Forensic officers in white suits were sent to comb through the debris.

Deputy police commissioner Sahibzada Yousaf told local media that sniffer dogs and advanced technology were used to ensure everyone was rescued from the rubble.

Many Pakistani households use liquefied petroleum gas cylinders for fuel and cooking. Gas cyclinders have been linked to other deadly accidents caused by gas leaks.

Gilani expressed concern about the explosion and said more needed to be done to curb the "unsafe use of gas cylinders".

"Such incidents demand that relevant departments fulfil their responsibilities seriously and ensure safety measures," he said in a statement reported by local media.