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       LAHORE: Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has pledged financial assistance of Rs2m each for the families of those who lost their lives in the LPG tanker blast in Multan and Rs0.5m for the injured.

       This was stated by provincial health minister Khawaja Salman Rafique who along with health secretary Azmat Mahmood visited the burn unit at the Nishtar Hospital Multan, inquired after the injured on Tuesday.

       While acknowledging that no monetary value can compensate for the loss of life, he underscored that the assistance was a small yet meaningful effort toward the victims’ recovery.

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       Six people had lost their lives and 38 were injured in the tanker blast that occurred on Monday. The explosion after the gas leak from the tanker also completely destroyed two dozen houses and damaged several others.

       The injured will get Rs0.5m each; home dept launches probe

       Mr Rafique said the government would ensure provision of funds to the owners of the houses and an inquiry was being conducted to ascertain the exact cause of the incident. He said the district administration should also check the losses of the citizens whose animals also perished in the fire.

       The minister said exemplary medical care was being provided to the patients at the burn unit.

       He also met with the families of the injured and the deceased. He ordered rehabilitation measures for the victims and directed district administration to ensure full support.

       Both the minister and the secretary visited the incident site and also inspected the damaged and collapsed houses.

       Health Secretary Azmat Mahmood highlighted that the health department had prioritised comprehensive care for the injured, declaring an emergency across hospitals and ensuring the availability of all medical facilities.

       Meanwhile, the Punjab Home Department constituted an inquiry committee to probe the tanker blast.

       Multan Commissioner Amir Kareem Khan has been made the convener of the committee while other members include city police officer (CPO) Multan, joint director of the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra), director civil defense and director chemical engineering department of the Bahauddin Zakariya University Multan.

       The committee would submit a fact-finding report within three days and suggest measures to stop this type of incidents in the future.

       In Multan, the commissioner briefed the minister as well as the secretary on the rescue operations and treatment efforts, stating that emergency aid was promptly delivered while shelter, food, and medical care were being provided to all the victims whose houses were destroyed or damaged.

       The minister also visited the under-construction 100-bed cancer hospital at Nishtar. He inspected the under-construction PET scan facility. The cancer hospital project being set up at the cost of Rs960m would enhance cancer care in the region.

       He set a deadline for completion of the cancer hospital by the end of this year.

       Published in Dawn, January 29th, 2025