KARACHI: The suspicious gas, that has already claimed four lives, spread further and reached Custom House Karachi. All the port activities have been suspended and Custom House Karachi was evacuated on Monday morning.
MCC Preventive on the directives of Collector Saquif Saeed also removed 10 of it’s detainees from the Custom House lock-up to jail custody.
Sources said Custom House was closed and evacuated at around 10:00 AM after an Assistant Collector and several others started vomiting and feeling sick. Three appraisers at Karachi International Container Terminal (KICT) experienced similar conditions and the terminal was closed at around 11:00 AM. Work at Pakistan International Container Terminal (PICT), SAPT, Pak Shaheen terminals were closed at mid-day.
An official said that last night doctors at the hospital were of the view that this gas was hydrogen sulfide, which is generated in sewage lines. However, in the morning there were news that, it was from the family of methylene.
An official said there were no instruments in Pakistan, which could detect and identify the gas from the air.
At least four people were reported dead and dozens fell unconscious as a result of a “mysterious gas leak” in West Wharf in the Kemari port area Sunday evening.
Several agencies including Pakistan Navy are investigating to identify the gas and its source of leakage.