Story: Farhan Tariq
On the night of October 29, an explosion in the village of Pindi—located in the Bagh district of Pakistan-administered Kashmir—resulted in the deaths of four members of the same family, while one young girl sustained injuries. Following the incident, it was suggested on social media that a gas cylinder had exploded; however, a member of the affected family states that it remains unclear what the actual cause of the blast was.
For Basit Ali, who lost four family members in the incident, the news came as an unimaginable shock. He was on duty and had called home—as he routinely did after a meal—when the voice on the other end of the line changed his world forever.
Basit Ali recounts that his sister answered the call, but she was crying so intensely that, at first, he could not make sense of what she was saying. Moments later, he learned that a tragedy had occurred at home and that his family members had perished.
“After a while, I was told that something had exploded, resulting in the deaths of my grandmother, my aunt, and her children. One young girl was injured and taken to the hospital in Bagh district. Later, as the condition of one of the boys deteriorated, he was transferred to Muzaffarabad.”
“There were small holes in the kitchen walls.”
According to Basit Ali, when he arrived at the scene the following day for the funeral, he inspected the kitchen. What he witnessed there raised several questions in his mind. He explains that there were small holes scattered across the kitchen walls, and the utensils present there also showed signs of punctures.
According to him, the state of the kitchen suggested that a severe incident had occurred, though he cannot state with certainty what the actual cause was.
Following the incident, various claims emerged on social media. Some suggested it was a gas cylinder explosion, while others proposed different causes. Basit Ali states that it remains crucial for his family to determine exactly what exploded and what triggered the accident.
“Our uncle did not even own a small gas cylinder.”
According to a relative of the affected family, his uncle worked at a tandoor (clay oven) in a restaurant in Karachi and came from a poor family.
He asserts that his uncle did not even possess a small gas cylinder—a fact that neighbors can also confirm.
Family members emphasize that all relevant evidence should be examined before drawing any definitive conclusions regarding the cause of the incident.
Video of the kitchen goes viral on social media.
According to Basit Ali, a video of the kitchen went viral on Facebook shortly after the incident. He clarifies that the video was recorded by someone else present at the scene, not by any member of his family.
He explains that the family was in a state of deep shock at the time, and the very idea of ​​recording a video or sharing anything on social media was entirely out of the question for them. According to Basit Ali, holes are clearly visible on the kitchen walls and utensils in the viral video. He believes this evidence could be crucial in understanding the nature of the incident.
He calls for a formal and impartial investigation to determine the root cause of the incident—to clarify exactly what transpired that night and identify the factors behind the tragedy that claimed four lives.
Unanswered Questions for the Family
The death of four members from the same family has left the surviving relatives in a state of deep shock, with the injury of a young girl further compounding the family’s distress.
For Basit Ali, this is not merely an accident, but a tragedy; his family has a right to know the true cause. He urges that the facts be brought to light through an examination of the kitchen’s condition, the holes found on the walls and utensils, the viral video, and other available evidence.
Based on the information currently available, the exact cause of the explosion cannot be confirmed. It is, therefore, essential that the relevant authorities examine the evidence and conduct a thorough investigation before drawing any conclusions.
Disclaimer: In this feature, a relative of the affected family and an eyewitness spoke to the media on the condition of anonymity. Their faces have been obscured to respect their request and protect their identities. — Kashgil News
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