Gas Leak Triggers Explosion in Supreme Court Basement; 12 Reported Injured

Post by : Raina Nasser

An explosion resulting from an apparent gas ignition rocked the Supreme Court complex in Islamabad on Tuesday morning, leaving a dozen people hurt and generating widespread alarm within the building.

Officials say the blast occurred at about 10:55 a.m. in the basement cafeteria, where technicians were performing maintenance near an air‑conditioning installation. Investigators believe a leaked gas supply was ignited while the work was underway.

Witnesses described a sharp blast that echoed through the lower levels of the court and caused hearings across multiple courtrooms to be interrupted as judges, lawyers and staff evacuated the premises.

Inspector General Islamabad Ali Nasir Rizvi confirmed 12 injuries, noting that several of those most seriously affected were the technicians on site. One worker was reported to have sustained burns covering roughly 80% of his body and is in critical condition.

Fire and emergency medical teams were dispatched immediately. The wounded were transported to nearby hospitals, and the complex was cleared as a precaution while first responders secured the scene.

Damage was reported in Court No. 6, where parts of the ceiling collapsed and smoke spread through the chamber. Video footage from the site shows debris on the floors and staff assisting injured colleagues out of the basement area.

Authorities have opened a comprehensive investigation to establish whether procedural failures or negligence contributed to the gas leak. Early accounts indicate maintenance work involving gas lines and air‑conditioning equipment was under way at the time.

Officials have stated there were no fatalities and that a structural and security assessment of the building is now in progress. The Supreme Court will only resume normal operations once those inspections are complete.

The incident has intensified scrutiny of safety measures at high‑security government installations, particularly within Islamabad's Red Zone where the Supreme Court is located.