The catastrophic incident occurred while a local family was distributing free lassi (a traditional yogurt drink) to neighbors. The house was teeming with women and children who had gathered for the refreshments when a 20kg gas cylinder in the kitchen ruptured with immense force.

According to Chaman Police, the impact was so violent that it caused several rooms of the house to crumble to the ground. Rescue workers and locals scrambled through the smoldering debris, eventually recovering the bodies of five children.

‘It was a scene of total bedlam,’ said one official. "The explosion was entirely unexpected, catching the victims completely off guard."

The injured were rushed to a nearby hospital, where many are reported to be in critical condition. Authorities have summoned the Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) to conduct a thorough investigation and rule out any other factors, though preliminary reports point strictly to a tragic gas leakage.