Mystery of toxic gas spread around Keamari port remains unresolved

KARACHI: Police said on Tuesday that post-mortem of two out of 14 deceased people was completed and chemical examination of the blood specimens gave no signs of toxic gas, ARY News reported.

A report compiled by chemical examiners of the Sindh government was obtained by ARY News which stated examinations of blood samples of the deceased people following the alleged toxic gas spread in surrounding areas of Keamari port of Karachi.

It stated that the experts detected morphine, the meditation used to treat severe pain and also known as opioid (narcotic) analgesics which belongs to a class of drug, from the blood sample of a deceased person, however, the amount of the drug cannot be blamed for the cause of the death.

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The post mortem report said the deceased person could be a drug addict following the detection of morphine in his blood sample while no one has claimed his dead body so far.

Moreover, the investigators have also remained clueless to find out the reason for the death of the second person. It emerged that the reports of the blood samples of the affected people have not been compiled so far.

A mysterious gas spread on February 16 is being blamed to cause deaths in surrounding areas of Kemari port area of the metropolis that has killed at least 14 people with fears of the numbers escalating, scores were affected and getting treatment in different healthcare facilities.

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The February 18’s report of the University of Karachi’s International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences (ICCBS) had pointed to “overexposure” to “soybean dust” as the probable cause of the incident. The ICCBS said samples of blood and urine of the people exposed to toxic aerosols were sent to it late last night.

ICCBS had suggested symptoms due to exposure to soybean (aeroallergens) may be considered the possible cause and that the people hospitalised be given bronchodilators, and anti-histamines.

On February 20, the soybean carrying vessel being blamed for the toxic gas in Karachi had successfully made its way to Port Qasim from Kemari. A tug boat pulled the ship to take it to the outer channel sending it on its way.