By DPA,
Islamabad : At least 18 people were killed Monday when a tanker carrying highly flammable paint thinner exploded in southern Pakistan, police said.
More than 40 people were also injured near a busy street in Hyderabad, 159 km east of the southern port city of Karachi.
Mohammad Ali Balouch, a senior police official, said the tanker parked at a truck depot had a capacity of 30,000 liters of paint thinner, part of which may have converted into gas due to the heat.
“Initial investigations shows that the explosion took place due to the gas pressure inside the tanker.”
The blast destroyed around a dozen vehicles and 10 shops.
Balouch said 18 people had been confirmed dead and the death toll could rise because 10 injured victims were in critical condition.