At least four workers die after inhaling toxic gas in Karachi factory

KARACHI: At least four workers died after inhaling toxic gas while cleaning a chemical tank in a factory in Shah Latif Cattle Colony on Monday, ARY News reported.

A sorrowful incident took place in Karachi’s Cattle Colony in which at least four factory workers including the plant manager, his assistant and two helpers lost their lives after inhaling toxic gas.

Initial investigation revealed that the deaths were caused due to toxic gas in the chemical tank.

Police said that the bodies were shifted to the hospital and the post-mortem report will ascertain the cause of their deaths.

Sindh Minister for Labour Saeed Ghani took notice of the incident and ordered the secretary labour to launch a thorough investigation. Saeed Ghani vowed strict action against those who were found involved in the incident.

READ: OVER 100 HOSPITALIZED AFTER GAS LEAK AT CHEMICAL FACTORY IN KARACHI

The maternal uncle of a deceased worker, Yaqoob Khaskheli alleged that the family members were pressurised to take the bodies without carrying out the medico-legal procedure.

He said that their children lost their lives after the factory management sent them to clean the acidic tank without providing them with proper safety equipment, on the other hand, delaying tactics are being used to avoid conducting post-mortem.

Khaskheli said that their relatives will hold a sit-in on National Highway with the bodies of the beloved children if justice is not served to the victims.

He said that they were consistently contacting Saeed Ghani but he is avoiding to visit the hospital to listen to their complaints.

A Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Member of Provincial Assembly (MPA) Sajid Jokhio visited the Jinnah Hospital. While talking to journalists, he said that the secretary of the labour department will probe into the incident.

He said that it was a chemical factory whose employees were burnt to death while cleaning a boiler. Sajid Jakhio blamed the negligence of the factory management for the workers’ deaths.

Jokhio said that a wounded labourer told him that they were asked to clean the tank with a common slipper and without providing them with other safety equipment.