At least six persons died and dozens were seriously got an illness and admitted to two major hospitals in the port area of Keamari – Kutiyana and Ziauddin — early in the morning on Monday, media reports said.
The mysterious poisonous and deadly gas is suspected to have come out from a chemical storage warehouse in the Keamari area. The authorities have kept mum on the cause of the release.
“Port authorities are trying to hide the facts,” said Faisal Edhi, head of Edhi Foundation, the top ambulance service in the country in a video shared by media. “They should tell the truth so further deaths and damage be prevented,” Edhi added.
According to police, most of the affected people have become unconscious after inhaling toxic gas and many others are facing difficulties in inhaling.
It is a very serious matter and criminal neglect on part of the authorities as they have failed to prevent the release of deadly and toxic gas in the congested port area. They are now trying to hide the fact to save their skins.
The police and port authorities should locate the place from where the gas was released and all the responsible persons or departments be taken to task. Besides Police, the Karachi Port Authority, Federal Government’s Ports and Shipping Department, Pakistan Navy, Environment Protection Authority (EPA), KMC (City Government) and the Civil Defence departments should be asked to play their roles. Not only the culprits be nabbed, but the government should take preventive measures so a similar incident has not happened in future.
