KARACHI: A gas leakage at an ice factory in a residential area of Korangi affected scores of people and left at least two persons hospita­lised on Wedne­sday, police and rescuers said.

They said that the leakage of the ammonia gas was reported at the Najma ice factory in Mehran Town within the remit of the Zaman Town police station, triggering residents’ complaints about a foul smell that forced them to leave their homes.

Korangi-SSP Tariq Nawaz said that only one child fell unconscious due to the ammonia leak. “The gas leakage has stopped and the owner of the factory has been detained for questioning,” the SSP said.

However, area SHO Rao Rafiq said that two persons fainted and were taken to a hospital. He identified them as 70-year-old Rehmat Bibi and around three-year-old Ahmed Raza. He said that their condition was stated to be out of danger.

Some old and rusted pipes in the factory might have caused the leakage, he said, adding that legal proceedings had been initiated into the incident.

Four ‘robbers’ held

Four suspected robbers, including two in wounded condition, were arrested after an encounter near Nursery on Sharea Faisal on early Wednesday morning, police said.

Tipu Sultan police SHO Syed Imtiaz Husain said four suspects travelling in a car were looting people near the Nursery bus stop. When a police patrol arrived on the scene, the suspects fled towards the railway crossing by abandoning their car.

They later also resorted to firing which was retaliated by the police, resulting in bullet injuries to two suspects, identified as Kamal and Abdul Samad. Their two accomplices, Naseerullah and Azhar, were also arrested.

Four 30-bore pistols and four cell phones, including one iPhone-7 plus, which was snatched from the limits of the Ferozabad police, were recovered from their custody.

The injured suspects were shifted to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre for treatment.

Published in Dawn, July 20th, 2023