Unloading of soybean halted at Karachi port following casualties

KARACHI: The unloading of soybean was halted at the port on Wednesday after more than 10 people died and scores of others were affected by the air toxicity. A report prepared by experts in Karachi University had pointed out that soybean could be the cause of the deaths.

According to a report compiled by the International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences (ICCBS) at Karachi University, an aeroallergen from soybean dust was found in the blood samples collected from the people, who died after the suspected gas leakage in the city’s Keamari area.

Unloading of soybean was stopped from a US ship named ‘Hercules’ which was docked at Karachi port. The ship is docked at one of the city’s main ports, Bin Qasim port.

Sources told a private news channel that after the ship had left the dock, air toxicity had reduced significantly.
It was learnt that the ship carrying soybean reached Karachi on February 15. The citizens of Kemari railway colony started being affected by the aeroallergen since the evening of February 16.

Prime Minister Imran Khan had directed all government institutions to work with the provincial government to ensure that the incident does not happen again and relief be provided to those affected by the toxicity.