FIR registered over Karachi gas leak that killed five, injured scores

KARACHI: A First Information Report (FIR) was registered on Monday over the gas leak in the city's Keamari area that killed six people and injured dozens on Sunday.

The FIR was registered in Jackson Police Station under the supervision of SHO Malik Adil. As per the complaint, the poisonous gas affected people at 6:00pm on Monday at Masan Road, Railway Colony, Jackson Bazaar and surrounding areas.

When the FIR was registered, as many as five people had died and 63 had been injured. Police has been asked to determine the cause of the gas leakage and bring the culprits to book.

Read more: Five dead, dozens affected due to mysterious gas leakage in Karachi

After the gas leak, those hospitalised had complained of respiratory problems, police officials and doctors said, noting that the real cause of the incident could not be ascertained. Sources said the leakage occurred during the offloading of chemicals from a cargo ship anchored at Keamari Jetty.

KPT chairperson says gas leak did not occur from port or tankers

However, these claims were denied by the KPT as its chairperson Rear Admiral Jamil Akhtar said that no evidence had been found after a thorough inspection of the berths and terminals. He said that the investigation had revealed that gas had not leaked from any tanker or port.

“If there had been a leak from the port, then the first affectees would be the people working there. Here we are in front of you," he had said.

The rear admiral said he was not in a position to state the source or origin of the leak because the Pakistan Navy’s Biological and Chemical Damage Control team had not provided any results yet.