Staff Reporter
Karachi
Sindh health department on Tuesday announced 14 deaths in Karachi’s toxic gas leak incident in the port area. Dr Zafar Mehdi, focal person of the provincial health department, in a statement said that 14 persons have died at the city’s hospitals due to inhaling poisonous gas during last two days.
Giving details, the health official said that nine patients admitted at Ziauddin Hospital have been died. “Two patients each at the Civil Hospital and Kutyana Memon Hospital in Kharadar, and another patient reported died at Burhani Hospital.”
The exact cause of the deaths has not yet been ascertained, hospital sources said. Earlier, heavy contingents of law enforcement agencies including Rangers were deployed on the entrance and exit routes of the affected areas.
Rescue and security teams distributed face masks among the citizens. Commissioner Karachi told media that a cargo vessel had transported some consignment to Karachi Port Trustfrom where the gas leakage spotted after inspection.
Aeroallergen from soybean dust was found in blood samples collected rom people who died after the suspected gas leakage in the city’s Keamari area, sources informed a news channel citing a report released Tuesday evening.
Compiled by the International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences at Karachi University, the report was released after a blood analysis was conducted on samples obtained from the deceased. The report mentioned that Spain experienced a similar incident of soybean dust poisoning two years ago that affected numerous people in the country.
The KPT administration has been ordered to halt off-loading of containers from the ship, he added. In his media briefing, the commissioner said the gas spread was stopped when the ship doors were closed, whereas, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has directed the authorities to inspect all items loaded in the containers.
Murad Ali Shah said it was necessary to check air quality to spot the source of the hazardous gas. He added that Pakistan Army is assisting the authorities to check the air quality of the affected sites, whereas, the experts from SUPARCO [Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission] have also collected samples to investigate into the matter.
Death toll in the gas leakage has surged to seven as one more person died at midnight on Monday. Chemical and nuclear specialists from the armed forces arrived at the Keamari locality on Tuesday.
