KARACHI: A young man was found dead in a tunnel apparently dug to steal oil from an underground pipeline in Shah Latif Town, police and rescuers said on Sunday.

They said that the body was shifted to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre for medico-legal formalities. The deceased was identified as Salman Gul.

A Rescue-1122 spokesperson said that they received information about a man trapped inside a tunnel near the Malir river on Saturday night. He said that when a rescue team arrived at the spot, they found that the tunnel had been dug inside a house and both oil and gas pipelines passing underground.

He said that when one man entered the tunnel he became unconscious. He said that there was so much gas leakage that even the rescue team, despite being equipped with the necessary gadgets, faced breathing problems.

The whole area was cordoned off by the police as any mishap could have occurred if anyone had tried to light a match.

He said the rescue team resumed its operation on Sunday after authorities concerned plugged the leakage.

In the evening, Shah Latif Town SHO Mohammed Ameen Khoso told Dawn that the body of the young man had been retrieved from the tunnel.

The officer said it appeared that the victim and his accomplices were involved in stealing oil or gas by digging a tunnel inside the house.

Published in Dawn, April 28th, 2025