Staff Reporter Commissioner of Karachi iftikhar Shallwani forwarded a report on Keamari toxic gas issue to Chief Minister of Sindh Murad Ali Shah on Thursday. In the report, the commissioner has stated that the particles of soybean dust were found in the blood samples of the victims. He also suggested to stop offloading of the soybean at Karachi Port. The commissioner further assured the CM that the situation is under control as steps are being taken to handle the matter. Meanwhile, the Shipping Agents Association strongly have denied reports of dangerous gas emissions from soybean and said that soybean is not related to chemicals as it is an agricultural product. Soybean is being handled at the port without any damage for years and no one from the workers on the ship got affected by it, the association said. The statement further claimed that first victim of the poisonous gas was admitted in the hospital even before the ship got anchored. On the other hand, Sindh government issued an advisory, according to which, the soybean dust causes itching in the mouth, eczema, throat inflammation and choked breathing. Earlier, the International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences (ICCBS) had revealed that “exposure to soybean dust” is causing severe respiratory problems for the locals of Keamari. The report suggested to give bronchodilators and antihistamines to the patients admitted in the hospitals. It also recommended the local authorities to take extreme care during unloading of soybean containers from now on.
