A boiler blew up at a glue factory in Faisalabad, in Pakistan’s Punjab province, on Friday, November 21, 2025. At least 18 people died and 21 were hurt, police and local authorities said, as reported by the Associated Press.
The blast flattened the production building and damaged houses next door. Firefighters spent several hours pulling people out from under the rubble and looking for anyone still alive. Several of the injured are in critical condition.
Early indications point to a gas leak. Police said the plant’s director has been arrested, while the owner left the scene and is being hunted. Local official Raja Jahangir said the investigation is continuing, including how the factory came to be given permission to build in a residential area. That permission may have broken building rules.
Earlier blasts
This was not the first factory explosion in recent memory. A week before, a blast at a fireworks factory in the port city of Karachi killed four people. In 2024, a boiler exploded at a textile factory in Faisalabad and injured 10 workers.
Authorities are weighing several scenarios. They have promised a full inquiry that will cover fire safety compliance and the rules on building in residential districts.
