The death toll from SundayÂ’s natural gas pipeline explosion in the Eastern Province rose to 38 as a special technical panel set up by Saudi Aramco continued its probe yesterday to determine the reason for the blast and the subsequent fire, informed sources said.
Dr. Abdul Mohsen Al-Mulhim, director of King Fahd Hospital in Hofouf, said his hospital received seven Pakistanis injured as a result of the explosion. They were carrying out maintenance work at the Haradh-Othmaniya gas pipeline, 30 km from Hawiyah Gas Plant. At least 60 people were injured in the accident.
Abdallah JumÂ’ah, CEO of Saudi Aramco, accompanied by a number of his aides, visited the site of the accident to know the reasons for the explosion. Most bodies could not be recognized and required DNA tests to identify them. |