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Pakistan - Toxic chemicals allegedly kill 18 people in Karachi - Toxic gases ruled out, likely a measles outbreak

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  • Pakistan - Toxic chemicals allegedly kill 18 people in Karachi - Toxic gases ruled out, likely a measles outbreak


    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keamari_District

    --------------------------------------

    Sindh health dept investigates ‘18 mysterious deaths’ in Karachi’s Keamari

    Dawn.com | Imtiaz Ali Published January 26, 2023 Updated about 21 hours ago

    The Sindh health department conducted a community response visit in Karachi’s Keamari on Thursday after receiving reports about “18 mysterious deaths”.
    ...
    It added that the 18 deaths were reported over a period of 16 days, from Jan 10 to Jan 25.

    The victims were citizens of all ages and showed initial symptoms of fever, sore throat and shortness of breath, the statement said, adding that they were dead within five to seven days of the onset of the illness.

    The statement further said that symptomatic patients were examined but they did not have any rashes. It, however, noted that the community was “concerned with severe irritating smell” permeating the environment.
    ...
    “As per initial investigation, the cause of these deaths are some chemicals which are developing interstitial lung disease. Medical camps for the treatment of pneumonia [have] also been established in the affected area,” the health department said, adding that further investigation was under way.
    ...
    Abro, who also visited the affected area, said that three factories had been illegally established in the locality. “These factories reportedly burned stones, locally known as ‘Chinese stones’, that emitted smoke which caused breathing problems for residents.”

    He surmised that the deaths may have occurred due to some “poisonous gases” or some other ailments, adding that the doctor’s report was awaited.
    ...
    "As per initial investigation, the cause of these deaths are some chemicals which are developing interstitial lung disease," dept says.

    -----------------------------------------------------

    16 children among 19 killed from mysterious illness

    By News desk -January 27, 2023

    Children among 19 killed from mysterious illness in city. At least 16 children among 19 people have died due to a mysterious fever in Muhammad Ali Laghari goth in Karachi’s Kemari District. According to details, more than 30 children were still sick of mysterious fever as there were no dispensaries in the area for treatment.

    Moreover, the smoke coming from ‘illegal’ factories makes it difficult to breathe for the patients.
    ...
    The DC further stated that the smoke from the factories due to the burning of plastic and other harmful material spread disease among the children.He added that the smoke caused the throat of the children to deteriorate and later symptoms like pneumonia appeared.He maintained that a team of doctors and the district administration are presented in the goth to facilitate the affected and sick people, meanwhile a case will be registered against the factory owners. It is pertinent to mention here that earlier, a total of 12 members of the same family had died due to a similar mysterious disease in the Rahim Yar Khan district of Punjab.

    https://pakobserver.net/16-children-...rious-illness/

    --------------------------
    See also:

    Pakistan - 12 people of Rahim Yar Khan’s Laghari clan die of ‘mysterious disease’ - Probe confirms meningoencephalitis ?



    -------------------------------------------------------

    Toxic chemicals allegedly kill 18 people in Pakistan’s Karachi

    At least 18 people, most of them children, die within 16 days as residents report foul smell from two factories.

    By Abid Hussain
    Published On 27 Jan 2023
    27 Jan 2023

    Islamabad, Pakistan – At least 18 people have died in Pakistan’s largest city of Karachi in the past 16 days, allegedly due to toxic chemicals from factories in the area.

    A statement from the Health Department of Sindh province on Thursday confirmed the deaths in the Ali Muhammad Goth neighbourhood in Karachi’s Keamari district from January 10 to January 26.

    “As per initial investigation the cause of these deaths are some chemicals which caused some interstitial lung disease,” the statement said. “Medical camps for the treatment of pneumonia have also been established in affected area. Further investigations are under process.”
    ...

    https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/...istans-karachi
    "Safety and security don't just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear."
    -Nelson Mandela

  • #2
    Mystery shrouds Keamari deaths as probe remains inconclusive

    Imran Ayub Published January 28, 2023 Updated about 12 hours ago
    ...
    Over the past few days 18 people have died in neighbourhood due to inhaling of some mysterious toxic gases emitting from factories functioning in the residential areas.

    The official team, led by director general of health Abdul Hameed Jumani, first attended the patients who had symptoms of cough, sore throat and flu and conducted their X-rays.

    “It will take time to determine the cause of deaths here but apparently it’s due to toxic gases emitting from some factories,” said the DG-health.

    “Today we have collected samples of all residents of this Goth [Ali Muhammad Goth] and the adjoining areas. We have conducted X-rays of people suffering from cough and flu and also collected their blood and mucus samples. The samples of those who show no symptom have also been collected,” he added.
    ...
    “Initial sign and symptoms reported in the deceased were of fever, sore throat, and shortness of breath and respiratory distress leading to death within a few days,” said a health department report in its initial official findings.

    “The suspected cause include emission of gases from the nearby plastic/oil [factories] and the newly established factory deriving iron ore from rocks or/and post measles complications,” the initial report added.
    ...


    --------------------------------------------

    Officials fail to ascertain cause of multiple deaths in Karachi’s Keamari

    January 28, 2023
    MM News Staff

    KARACHI: Officials probing into the incident of multiple deaths occurred in Karachi’s Keamari area have failed to find out reason that triggered the fatalities. The deaths took place in Ali Muhammad Leghari Goth in Kemari over the period of some 15 days.

    MM News has learnt that Sindh Health Department officials set up a medical camp in the affected area in Ali Mohammad Goth ,in Union Council 8 of Mawach Goth in Keamari District of Karachi.

    Equipped with doctors and other staff, it provided locals with out-patient services (OPD) to some 71 locals, including 25 children, 30 women and 16 men.

    The ‘subject’ population underwent Covid-19 testing, but not a single tested positive. However, results for sputum, measles and other analysis are still awaited.

    “Initial sign and symptoms reported in the deceased were of fever, sore throat, and shortness of breath and respiratory distress leading to death within a few days,” said a health department report in its initial official findings.
    ...

    MM News provides latest news, breaking news, investigations, stock market, showbiz & entertainment news, urdu news from Pakistan, world, sports, cricket,


    -------------------------------------------------------

    Three days on: Doctors suspect measles outbreak, toxic fumes responsible for Keamari deaths

    Detailed report issued by Sindh Health department says young children among most-affected group

    HAMID UR REHMAN
    about 2 hours ago

    Three days after it emerged that over a dozen people had died in 20 days in a small locality of Keamari district in Karachi, doctors and district authorities have narrowed down the cause of the deaths to an outbreak of measles and toxic fumes from surrounding illegal factories.
    ...
    From December 26 to January 25, around 18 residents died after complaining of high fever, sore throat and shortness of breath. However, the Sindh health department has now narrowed the cases to 15, noting that a foul smell in the area started after January 5, following which the bulk of deaths were reported.

    Deaths took place within five to seven days of symptoms appearing, locals said.

    The report by the Sindh health department said that the most-affected group were between two to four years of age. Around 40 (81%) of infected people were in the age group of less than 11 years.
    ...
    The most common symptoms of the fatal illness were fever, cough and shortness of breath.

    Other symptoms included pneumonia, redness of eyes, burning of eyes, itching in eyes, headache, nausea, dry mouth, dizziness, abdominal cramping.

    Of the 49 who exhibited any of these symptoms, 26 were living in six houses located close to factories.
    ...
    During an active search in the community, the report said that teams observed some cases of suspected measles.

    “Chance of infected person can not be excluded due to incubation period,” the report noted, adding that a measles outbreak cannot be ruled out until the confirmation of blood samples.
    ...
    "Safety and security don't just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear."
    -Nelson Mandela

    Comment


    • #3
      Doctors rule out covid in Keamari toxic gas deaths

      Search continues for cause as measles booster shots administered, tuberculosis suspected in some

      HAMID UR REHMAN
      Jan 27, 2023

      ...
      Novel coronavirus (Covid-19) tests were conducted for 48 of these residents.

      All 48 test came back negative, the report said.

      However, results for sputum, measles and other analysis are still awaited.
      ...
      Suspecting a measles outbreak in the locality – with one death taking place after displaying symptoms suspiociously close to measles, the report said that a ‘mop up’ activity was conducted in coordination with the Emergency Immunization Program (EIP) teams in the adjoining Qasim Ali Shah neighborhood and Ali Mohammad Goth on January 25.

      As many as 172 children were administered the measles booster.
      ...


      ---------------------------------------------

      Blood reports awaited as health officials suspect measles behind Keamari deaths

      The Newspaper's Staff Reporter Published January 29, 2023

      KARACHI: The Sindh health authorities hinted on Saturday that they could not “exclude measles virus as a risk factor of outbreak” that killed several people including children, over the past few days after inhaling toxic gases emitting from nearby factories in Ali Mohammad Goth of Keamari district, but remained cautious to jumping to conclusions before “confirmation of blood sample” reports.
      ...
      “Some 40 people or 81 per cent of the infected people were in the age group of less than 11 years,” the report said.

      “All were unvaccinated against routine [immunisations] and measles. During active search in the community team observed cases of suspected measles. Some chance of infected person cannot be excluded due to incubation period. So on the basis of above-findings we cannot exclude the measles virus as a risk factor of outbreak until the confirmation of blood samples,” the report stated.
      ...
      https://www.dawn.com/news/1734169/bl...keamari-deaths
      "Safety and security don't just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear."
      -Nelson Mandela

      Comment


      • #4
        Autopsy on Keamari’s mystery disease’s latest victim completed

        Doctors reserve cause of death, send samples for analysis

        HAMID UR REHMAN
        about 18 hours ago
        ...
        On Tuesday morning, three-year-old Abdul Haleem, a resident of the Ali Mohammad Goth in Union Council-8 of Muach Goth in Keamari District, had died.

        Thus he became the first casualty to take place since the district administration and the provincial health and environmental agencies were alerted to the brewing crisis in the village on January 26.
        ...
        Abdul Haleem had been suffering from similar symptoms as the 19 others who had died before him earlier in the month.

        He had reportedly been suffering from a high grade fever and swollen windpipe – contributing to shortness of breath and thus inability to talk. However, unlike some of those who passed before him, he only demonstrated symptoms for a few days prior to his passing.
        ...
        Earlier on Tuesday, the Sindh Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) issued its report for the air samples taken from the locality.

        The agency in its report said it did not find any airborne toxins and suggested a medical team should probe the matter thoroughly.
        ...


        -------------------------------------------

        Summaiya Syed Tariq@DrSueTariq

        Autopsy completed at Civil Hospital Karachi, on the body of the toddler boy from PS Mochko whose death was sudden and occured after two days of fever and cough. This was Medical/ Medicolegal Autopsy, the first of its kind, to establish cause of death.

        10:43 AM · Jan 31, 2023
        from Karachi, Pakistan·
        ...
        Previously, in the same area, nineteen deaths have occurred since 5th January, involving young people with the oldest being a thirty year old woman and youngest was this boy. The Medical Board comprised of Dr. Summaiya Syed #PoliceSurgeonKarachi, Prof. Naseem Ahmed ( Pathologist)
        ...
        Prof. Makhdoom ( Forensic) and two MLOs. Samples have been collected and preserved for toxicological screening, histopathology & complete blood profile. Cause of death has been kept reserved till reports.

        https://twitter.com/DrSueTariq/statu...62826317041664

        ----------------------------------------------

        Karachi police to exhume victims of Kemari toxic gas incident

        OUR STAFF REPORT
        February 01, 2023

        KARACHI-The Karachi Police on Tuesday decided to perform autopsy of buried victims of Kemari victims, who died due to suspicious respiratory tract infections.

        At least 20 died in Kemari area during the past two weeks due to suspicious respiratory tract infections.

        Among those who perished, 17 were children. At the same time, four members of a family also passed due to the mysterious disease
        , locals said. They added that currently, some 30–35 children are suffering from the mystery illness.
        ...
        KARACHI-The Karachi Police on Tuesday decided to perform autopsy of buried victims of Kemari victims, who died due to suspicious respiratory tract infections.
        "Safety and security don't just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear."
        -Nelson Mandela

        Comment


        • #5
          SEPA rules out environmental pollution as cause for Kemari deaths

          ...
          The Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) has ruled out the presence of any toxic gases or other air pollution that could have contributed to the 20 deaths in as many days in a small neighborhood of Kemari District of Karachi.

          The report stated that they had analyzed air samples collected from Ali Muhammad Goth in Union Council 8 of Mawach Goth, Kemari district.

          The report tested the air for the presence of hazardous materials including vapors of Sulphur Dioxide, Nitrogen Oxide, Nitrogen Dioxide, Carbon Monoxide, Ozone, particulate matter, suspended particulate matter, lead and other volatile organic compounds.

          It revealed that the victims did not die because of toxic gases.

          “Results obtained from laboratory does not indicate excess of any parameter in air quality which could lead to casualties from inhaling of any toxic gas,” the report read.
          ...


          -------------------------------------------------

          NIH confirms measles outbreak, not toxic gas caused Keamari deaths

          ...

          HAMID UR REHMAN
          about 2 hours ago


          The truth of the mysterious disease which claimed the lives of 20 people in a village in Keamari District of Karachi has finally come to light after samples collected from the village showed the presence of the measles virus.

          A report on the samples collected from Ali Mohammad Goth in Union Council-8 of Mawach Goth in Keamari district stated that of the samples taken from six individuals, four had tested positive for measles, suggesting a measles outbreak in the area.
          ...
          They were tested for the presence of dengue, mumps, measles and rubella.

          Of these, four children tested positive for measles while the adult tested positive for dengue.

          The children suffering from measles were aged two, two three and six. There were two boys and two girls who tested positive for measles.

          The adult who tested positive for dengue was a 20-year-old female.

          The results mean that there is likely a measles outbreak in the village, rather than the presence of any toxic gases due to industrial work – which was echoed in a report by the Sindh Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) earlier in the week.
          ...


          -----------------------------------------------------

          NIH CONFIRMS MEASLES IN FOUR CASES OF KEAMARI ‘MYSTERY DISEASE’

          KARACHI: Sindh health officials on Thursday disclosed that in four samples, sent to Islamabad, measles infection has been confirmed, ARY News reported.

          After several deaths Keamari district by a mysterious disease, blood samples of 13 persons were sent to Islamabad, health ministry officials said.

          “There is a strong possibility of spread of measled in most affected Ali Muhammad Goth”.

          A child patient of measles was died last night, according to health officials.

          “The villagers of the area were used to lockdown ailing patients in closed rooms,” health ministry disclosed.

          “Dengue fever has been confirmed in one of the blood samples sent to the National Institute of Health (NIH) in Islamabad,” health ministry sources said.
          ...
          KARACHI: Sindh health officials on Thursday disclosed that in four samples, sent to Islamabad, measles infection has been confirmed, ARY News reported.
          "Safety and security don't just happen, they are the result of collective consensus and public investment. We owe our children, the most vulnerable citizens in our society, a life free of violence and fear."
          -Nelson Mandela

          Comment

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