VIDEO: Toxic gas leak kills at least 14 people in Karachi

Tariq Butt, Correspondent

Mystery gas leak in Keamari, Karachi, has killed at least 14 people. Hospitals in the area continue to receive more patients. The leak has affected over 150 people.

Federal and provincial authorities have yet to confirm the cause of the deaths.

Around 125 patients have been transported to Ziauddin Hospital, where 10 of them were still in critical condition.

The hospital spokesperson said that five of them were in the intensive care unit.

According to the hospital administration, the victims were experiencing respiratory problems and stomachaches.

A dozen patients, including three children, were rushed to Ziauddin Hospital and Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital.

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Officials belonging to various federal and provincial departments have visited Keamari, initiating an investigation into the matter. However, they have not yet revealed the cause of the tragic.

A Karachi Port Trust (KPT) official disclosed that the toxic gas had leaked from a container that was being loaded on a truck near Jackson Market.

"The leak happened because amateurs tried to handle the container without knowing whether it carried chemicals,” he explained, adding that the truck has been investigated.

"The leak was not from the port, but all the activity occurred on the land owned by the KPT,” he said.

KPT chairperson Rear Admiral Jamil Akhtar said that the incident had not taken place in port premises.

Pakistan Navy team took blood samples from the patient in the affected area.

Akhtar further said that initial investigations suggested that the deadly gas was used in industries.