Pakistan: Cylinder blasts at perfume factory kills 12

KARACHI, Pakistan

At least 12 people were killed on Tuesday in a series of gas cylinder explosions inside a perfume factory in Pakistan’s northeast, local media reported.

The explosions also caused a huge fire that swept through the factory located in a slum area of Lahore -- the country's second-largest city and capital of Punjab province -- and caused the roof of the building to collapse.

The locality is dotted with several industrial units where safety standards are rarely followed.

Quoting rescue officials, local broadcaster Dawn News reported 12 deaths and two injured.

Most of the deaths were caused by the roof collapse, the officials said.

Footage aired on the channel showed rescuers digging through the debris of the building to find the victims.

Pakistan has a history of industrial accidents, mainly caused by poor infrastructure and lack of safety standards.