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Mysterious illness kills 19 in Karachi, Pakistan

Mysterious illness kills 19 in Karachi, Pakistan
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19 people, including at least 16 children died due to a mysterious illness in Muhammad Ali Laghari goth in Kemari District of Karachi, Pakistan, ARY News reported on Thursday.

There are many factories in the Muhammad Ali Laghari goth area of Karachi. Many people think toxic industrial emissions could be the reason for the deaths.

19 killed and 30 children suffering from mysterious illness in Karachi, Pakistan

According to reports, more than 30 children are still suffering from fever due to no treatment centers in the region. Furthermore, the smoke from the ‘illegal’ factories in the neighborhood causes breathing problems among the patients.

The District Health Officer of Kemari, Dr. Muhammad Arif, stated that two children died due to Measles.

He added that a team was working further to investigate the reasons behind the mysterious deaths in the area.

Dr. Arif said the team is also collecting samples from the patients and instructed them to set up medical camps and appoint doctors to take care of the patients.

District health authorities sealed illegal factories in the area

Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner (DC) Kemari Mukhtiar Ali Abro shut down several illegal factories. At least 4 people were arrested as well.

According to Abro, more than 10 children passed away due to the mystery fever.

Moreover, the DC explained that the toxic smoke from the factories comes from the burning of plastic and other harmful material. The emissions could be the culprit of the spread of the disease among children.

The children’s throats worsened as a result of the smoke, he continued, and symptoms resembling pneumonia eventually arose.

He insisted that the affected and ill residents were being helped by a team of physicians and the district administration.  And that a case would be filed against the factory owners.

It is important to note that earlier, in the Punjabi district of Rahim Yar Khan, a total of 12 people from the same family had died from a similar unexplained disease.

Industrial pollution is one of the serious environmental issues in Karachi, including air and water pollution.

According to WHO, air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year. And 99% of the world’s population breathes air that contains high levels of pollutants and exceeds WHO guideline limits, with low and middle-income nations seeing the worst exposures.

About the author

Saman Iqbal

Saman is a law student. She enjoys writing about tech, politics and the world in general. She's an avid reader and writes fictional prose in her free time.







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