The blasts occurred when soldiers were handling the explosives, sources said, adding that the store and the barracks in the camp were damaged. There are many oil depots of oil marketing companies (OMCs) in area adjacent to the arms depot in Sihala. Heavy contingents of Pakistan Army cordoned off the area and did not allowed police or any other rescue organisation in the vicinity of the arms depot.
Teams of Rescue 1122, Rescue 15, Islamabad Police and other organisations rushed to the place of the incident soon after the blasts, but they were not allowed to carry out rescue operations. Fire brigades of Pakistan Army, Pakistan Air Force took part in the fire extinguishing activity in the area while rescuers of Pakistan Army took part in rescue operation.
The dead and injured were rushed to Military Hospital and Combined Military Hospital in army ambulances. The link road heading towards Sihala was closed for vehicular traffic while movement of pedestrians was also restricted. The splinters of iron and steel reached nearby university compound, which caused panic among students and faculty of the varsity.
"We have seen iron pieces flying from the camp towards the university and it was horrible", said Sameer, a student. The series of blasts caused panic in the area and people came out of their houses and offices to take shelter at safer places in the wake of Ojhri Camp arms depot blast of 1988, said an eyewitness, who owns a shop in the area.
He said that the blasts triggered fire in the area and destroyed buildings in its surroundings.
Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) termed it an accident and rejected the notion of any disruptive activity in the arms depot. ISPR spokesman confirmed the death of one soldier and injuries to many, but independent sources said that two to three persons were killed in the blasts while many others were injured. "An explosion ripped through a Pakistani arms depot just outside the capital Islamabad on Monday, killing a soldier and bringing down the roof of a barrack", ISPR spokesman said in a statement.