WASHINGTON: The deaths in Keamari appear to be from an uncontrolled fumigation, which allowed toxic gas(es) to leak in nearby localities, says Dr Shakil A. Saghir, who is the chief Toxicologist at a research laboratory in Ohio.

A mysterious gas reportedly killed 14 people in a Karachi neighborhood between Feb 16-18 while more than 250 received treatment at various city hospitals.

An audio circulating on the web claimed that an unsupervised fumigation at an international container terminal at the Karachi port might have caused the leak that killed so many people and caused emergency evacuation from some areas.

The audio claimed that fumigators routinely used methyl bromide (CH3Br) gas for disinfecting old clothes imported from various western countries for the city’s poor. The decontamination is done by private contractors, although it’s supervised by the relevant government departments.

The audio claims that mostly the fumigation is done within the container, which does not allow leaks. But this time, it was done in an open space, which allowed the gas to leak.

Published in Dawn, February 20th, 2020