KARACHI: A fire erupted in Karachi Port Trust’s oil terminal area in Keamari on Monday morning, causing an explosion that left one worker dead and three others injured, according to police and hospital officials.

Ismail Dawood, 35, along with three other workers was busy in work when apparently a gas leak caused an explosion in the fuel tank of a private firm, Al-Raheem, at around 9am, said Keamari DSP Munir Ursani.

The four injured were rushed to the Civil Hospital Karachi, where doctors pronounced Ismail dead on arrival, said additional police surgeon Dr Qarar Ahmed Abbasi. The worker had sustained 100 per cent burn injuries, said Dr Abbasi.

Three other persons, Mohammed Anis, 22, Ramzan Ali, 25, and Junaid Sadiq, 24, were admitted for treatment of burn wounds, he said, adding that they sustained 24pc to 52pc burns.

It was only after three-hour efforts that Karachi Port Trust’s five tenders managed to control the blaze.

Jackson SHO Shaoor Khan told Dawn that the police were investigating the case. Initial probe suggested that gas leak triggered fire, the officer added.

This was the second such incident of blaze at the oil terminal area as a huge fire had killed two persons there in November 2016.

Published in Dawn, August 29th, 2017