Toxic gas leak kills 5, sickens dozens in Karachi port city

KARACHI, Pakistan – A toxic gas leak killed five people and sickened dozens of others in a coastal residential area in Pakistan’s port city of Karachi, police said Monday.

The source of the leak, which occurred on Sunday night, and the type of gas that had leaked were not immediately known. There was no suspicion of sabotage.

Authorities said they became aware of the incident when people in the Karachi neighbourhood of Kamari, which is close to the main port where incoming ships anchor, suddenly started rushing to the area’s hospitals with severe breathing problems overnight, police chief Adil Malik told reporters. On Monday, officials were still trying to determine where the gas leak started and what caused it.

He said three women and two men died in the incident. No further information was immediately available.

Karachi is the capital of southern Sindh province, Pakistan’s largest city and also the country’s chief commercial hub. It also has oil refineries nearby.