Death toll jumps to six in Karachi's mysterious gas leakage incident

KARACHI: Death toll has jumped to six in a mysterious gas leakage in Kemari port area of the metropolis and over 100 affected were shifted to the various healthcare facilities of the city, ARY News reported on Monday. 

According to details, six people pronounced dead including two women and dozens of hospitalized after falling unconscious. Three dead individuals were identified as Maymar Begum, Rizwan, and Ahsan.

Initial reports claimed that more than 25 people were affected by the poisonous gas that spread in the Jackson Market area near the shipping port, local police, and other law enforcement agencies cordoned off the area to conduct a search operation after a thorough search the area was declared clear for commuters after the initial gas release.

The teams of Pakistan Navy have also reached the spot on the appeal of Federal Minister Ali Zaidi to assist the rescue and the relief operations.

The spokesperson of the Karachi Port Trust (KPT) in a statement has claimed that reports pertaining to the gas being released by a recent ship that anchored down at the port were untrue.

Read more: Ali Zaidi asks NAB to probe wrongdoings in multi-million KPT project

He maintained that there was no report thus far of such a gaseous presence at the port.

Taking to the micro-blogging website Twitter, Minister Ali Zaidi tweeted, “By the Help of Almighty, things are now getting under control. NBCD team is deployed & are investigating root cause of the poisonous gas.”

By the Help of Almighty, things are now getting under control. NBCD team is deployed & are investigating root cause of the poisonous gas. I have just now personally visited East Wharf & checked on the ships, including the vessel carrying soya bean from the US without any mask. pic.twitter.com/kq5PM20NYH

— Ali Haider Zaidi (@AliHZaidiPTI) February 16, 2020

Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has ordered the Commissioner of Karachi police to submit a report on the matter on a priority basis.

CM Sindh also issued directives to ensure the providence of the best healthcare facilities to those affected by the gas.