At least six people died and 38 others, including women and children, were injured after a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) tanker exploded in Pakistan’s Multan region on Sunday, media reports said.

Multan Deputy Commissioner (DC) Muhammad Ali Bukhari told Dawn News that the explosion occurred due to a fire in the tanker, which was full of gas, adding that efforts to control the fire were underway.

He said 16 firefighting vehicles rushed to the spot to bring the flames under control.

He said the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority and other organisations had also been called for the ongoing operation to douse the fire.

Bukhari said the area had been sealed after the blast.

Rescue 1122 spokesperson Arshad Bhutta told Dawn News that the explosion damaged several houses in the area.

A high-level inquiry committee has been formed to probe the incident.

Multan Commissioner Amir Karim Khan told Dawn News that a ban has been imposed on standing LPG containers in the Ganjanabad area following the blast.

He further said that illegal filling shops of LPG and Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) should be raided and those operating without proper safety measures should be sealed.