RIYADH: Six Pakistani citizens have died due to an alleged gas leakage in the Manfuha area of the Saudi capital Riyadh.
According to initial reports, five of the deceased belonged to Balakot Tehsil of Mansehra district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while one Pakistani citizen is said to be from Punjab.
All the people were residing in Saudi Arabia for employment and were residing in the Manfuha area.
As soon as the news of the incident reached Pakistan, relatives of the deceased and local citizens in large numbers reached the homes of the affected families and expressed their condolences.
According to sources, the Pakistani embassy is in constant contact with the Saudi authorities and necessary legal and administrative proceedings related to the accident are being completed.
Steps are also underway to identify the deceased, document the process and transfer the bodies to Pakistan.
The relatives have demanded that the government of Pakistan and the Pakistani embassy in Saudi Arabia complete all legal requirements and immediately repatriate the bodies so that they can be buried in their native areas.
On the other hand, Saudi authorities have launched an investigation to find out the causes of the gas leakage incident. Teams of relevant agencies have collected evidence from the accident site and are examining other aspects including the gas system in the building.
The authorities have not yet released full details of the accident, but initially the cause of death is being said to be suffocation due to gas leakage.
The Pakistani embassy has assured all possible support to the affected families.
