Five labourers die after inhaling chemical fumes at Karachi factory

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GEO NEWS
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Five labourers die after inhaling chemical fumes at Karachi factory

KARACHI: Five labourers in Karachi lost their lives on Sunday after they reportedly inhaled chemical fumes while trying to clean an underground tank at the factory in Korangi Industrial area.

The bodies were taken to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) where Dr Seemi Jamali, head of the emergency department, confirmed the deaths.

Police sealed the factory, which belonged to a privately-owned company, following the incident and arrested the guard (chowkidar) at the factory.

According to workers at the site, the owner of the factory had called 11 labourers today to clean the underground tank.

Six workers initially entered the tank but they soon lost consciousness due to the fumes. The workers were taken out of the tank and brought to the Jinnah hospital by rescue workers.

Five of the workers were pronounced dead at the hospital, while one was still under treatment.

Dr Jamali said that post-mortem would be conducted on the bodies at the hospital after which they will be able to ascertain the exact chemical or gas which caused the deaths.

Police said the factory workers had not been given masks to protect themselves from the toxic fumes before entering the chemical tank.