KARACHI: Four labourers died after falling into an underground chemical tank of an industrial unit one after another in the Bin Qasim area on Thursday.

The incident came as a grim reminder of last year’s tragedy that had left five people dead in a Korangi factory, indicating gross violation of safety measures and the Sindh social security rules, officials said.

SHO of Bin Qasim police station Dhani Bux told Dawn that the labourers died after ostensibly inhaling chemical fumes inside the tank of the under-construction Scada chemical factory near Ghaggar Phatak.

The officer said one of the labourers had been apparently trying to fix the tank’s ventilator when he slipped and fell into it. Three other workers died while trying to save their colleague. A fifth worker was, however, rescued and later hospitalised.

The deceased were identified as Zahoor Ahmed, Tanveer Ahmed, Faizan and Faisal while Ali Shah was rescued.

The SHO said the factory owners would be taken to task after fulfilling legal formalities.

In May 2016, five factory workers died after inhaling toxic fumes while cleaning a chemical tank of a factory in the Korangi Industrial Area.

The death of the four workers in the Bin Qasim factory attracted the attention of Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah who sought a detailed report from the secretary of the provincial labour department.

Mr Shah asked if the factory was registered and when was it last inspected.

Police said later on Thursday that the factory had been sealed and that a search was on for its owner.

Published in Dawn, July 21st, 2017