An explosion at a glue-making factory in Pakistan has killed at least 16 people and injured seven after it collapsed the factory and sparked fires in nearby homes, Pakistani media are reporting.

The blast occurred at about 5am local time (00:00 GMT) on Friday in the Malikpur area of Faisalabad, west of Lahore in Punjab province.

Preliminary investigations showed a gas leak inside the factory’s chemical warehouse triggered the explosion, local outlets reported, citing Faisalabad Commissioner Raja Jahangir Anwar.

Authorities arrested the factory manager but were still searching for the owner, who fled shortly after the incident.

The blast flattened the factory’s roof and those of a handful of nearby homes, causing fires to break out in at least three of them, according to Pakistani chann

See Full Page