Mystery shrouds toxic gas leak in Karachi as death toll goes up to seven

Hospitals continue to receive affected patients; some of them are in critical condition

KARACHI: Mystery still surrounds the toxic gas leak in Keamari, which claimed at least one more life on Monday, bringing the death toll to seven as hospitals continued to receive patients. Federal and provincial authorities have yet to confirm what caused the deaths and affected over 150 people.

Over 125 patients were immediately transported to Ziauddin Hospital on Sunday night, where 10 of them were still in critical condition on Monday. The hospital spokesperson informed The Express Tribune that five of them were in the intensive care unit. He added that four deaths were reported of the hospital, of which two had passed away before arrival and two during treatment.

According to the hospital administration, the victims were experiencing respiratory problems and stomachaches. A dozen patients, including three children, were brought to the hospital on Monday morning as well, while around 20 more patients were rushed to Ziauddin Hospital and Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital on Monday night.

Meanwhile, officials belonging to various federal and provincial departments visited Keamari on Monday, initiating an investigation into the matter. However, they have not yet revealed the cause of the incident.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, a Karachi Port Trust (KPT) employee disclosed that the toxic gas had leaked from a container that was being loaded on a truck near Jackson Market. "The leak happened because untrained persons tried to handle the container without knowing whether it carried chemicals," he explained, adding that the truck had been taken into custody.

"The leak was not from the port, but all the activity occurred on land owned by the KPT," he further said. "It is very dangerous to handle such containers in residential areas; it is only done to save some money [by using cheap labour]."

In a press conference on Monday, KPT chairperson Rear Admiral Jamil Akhtar also said that the incident had not taken place in port premises. Stating that a Pakistan Navy team had taken blood samples from the patient as well as air and dust samples in the affected area, he added that the report would be finalised and made public in a few days.

Akhtar further said that initial investigations suggested that the deadly gas was used in industries. Pointing to leakage from air conditioner repair workshops in Jackson Market, he said that illegal activities were taking place in the residential area of Keamari.

During the same press conference, Mahmoud Moulvi, the prime minister's advisor on ports and shipping, said that the federal government was not responsible for providing compensation if a person died on the road. However, he assured that the Centre would provide compensation if the KPT was found to be responsible for the leak.

Meanwhile, Federal Maritime Affairs Minister Ali Haider Zaidi said that the leak had occurred in a residential area outside the port. During a visit to Customs House, he said that a team of experts were probing the incident, adding that appropriate action would be taken after the report was submitted.

He further criticised the Sindh government, saying that it had not yet contacted him about the matter.

On the other hand, Murtaza Wahab, the advisor to the Sindh chief minister on law, environment and coastal development, claimed that their technical team was on ground and had assembled evidence about the incident. Adding that he was in contact with naval officials, he said more details would be shared soon.

Six dead, dozens hospitalised after inhaling ‘poisonous gas’ in Karachi

South DIG Sharjeel Kharal said that the KPT administration had been directed to confine containers carrying gaseous substances to its port, while containers carrying petroleum products or other chemicals will be inspected before they are allowed to leave the port.

He added that authorities had sought the assistance of the Karachi University chemistry department and other relevant agencies to clear the gas from the atmosphere.

No safety measures
"The incident happened near our home, but we have not felt anything," said Akhtar Bhatti, a Keamari resident. "The only area affected was a neighbourhood near Jackson Market, near the container with the suspicious gas."

Sharjeel Kutchi, another resident, said that the tragic incident occurred within half an hour. He added that people were avoiding going near the location of the incident, which is close to the Karachi Port Trust (KPT).

"It was an emergency situation, all the patients were shifted to major hospitals," explained Dr Abdul Ghafoor Shoro, who runs a clinic in the locality. He claimed that no safety measures were taken while loading and unloading containers carrying chemicals and poisonous contents at the port.

Case registered
Jackson police registered a case on the matter against unidentified persons on behalf of the state on Monday. The case was filed under Sections 322, 284 and 337-A of the Pakistan Penal Code, pertaining to unintentional murder and negligent conduct with respect to poisonous substances.

"We did not name anyone in the FIR as it is yet to be clarified from where the gas spread and why," stated Jackson SHO Malik Adil. He said that the postmortems of the deceased had not been conducted, but samples had been taken for chemical examination to ascertain the cause of death.

Customs House evacuated

Meanwhile, the Customs House was evacuated as a precautionary measure on Monday afternoon after four employees of Pakistan Revenue Automation Limited fainted. The affected employees were rushed to the hospital, where their condition is stable.

Customs chief collector Wasif Memon ordered the evacuation of the building. A Sindh Environmental Protection Agency team inspected the building and declared it safe from the effects of the gas leak three hours later, after which normal activity was resumed.