LAHORE: Panic gripped among the people after multiple explosions took place at the crowded Barkat Market in Lahore's Garden Town locality on Tuesday morning.

Police said that initial findings suggested that the blasts occurred at an LPG refilling shop in Barkat Market. They said that when the first gas cylinder was exploded, it also resulted in the explosion of three to four others.

According to the police and Rescue 1122, one person sustained burnt wounds but no causality was reported. However, they said the explosion caused a significant damage to adjoining buildings and over 10 vehicles were smashed due to debris.

Muhammad Jabbar, a local trader at the market, told Business Recorder that he was in his office when the explosion occurred. "After the explosions, there was a stampede in the market as people were rushing to safe themselves. We were suspecting that it was another terrorist strike after the Johar Town bomb blast near the (banned) Jamaatud Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed last weeks," he added.

However, when the situation got normal after rescue officials doused the fire and law enforcement agencies collected necessary evidences from the site, many traders of the market visited the shop and saw that it was "gas cylinder" explosion, the trader added. On the other hand, police have registered an FIR and started investigation.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021