- Lawyer says SSGC “ignored” repeated leakage complaints.
- SSGC denies leak, says claimant not its registered consumer
- Negligence by gas company led to fatal incident, rules court.
KARACHI: A local court in Karachi has found Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) guilty of negligence in a case related to the deaths of two citizens caused by a gas line explosion in Orangi Town’s Millat Colony in 2022, directing the gas utility company to pay Rs30 million in compensation to the affected family within one month.
Karachi West Senior Civil Judge, Salman Amjad Siddiqui, pronounced his verdict on a civil suit filed by a citizen, namely, Aliza, whose parents were killed in the explosion that occurred in October 2022 due to a gas leak inside their house.
According to the petitioner’s counsel, Advocate Usman Farooq, the responsibility for gas distribution and maintenance lies with SSGC, and despite repeated complaints of gas leakage in the area, the company failed to repair the faulty line.
The lawyer maintained that the negligence directly led to the fatal incident, while the plaintiff sought Rs42.8m in damages.
However, the counsel representing SSGC denied the claims, stating that there was no gas leakage from the company’s line. The defence further argued that the claimant was not a registered consumer of SSGC and that the compensation claim was not admissible.
The court, however, noted that an SSGC witness had accepted the gas cable presented by the plaintiff as authentic evidence. It ruled that the explosion occurred due to gas leakage and that the company failed to take preventive measures.
In its observations, the court stated that a gas distribution company is legally bound to ensure the safety of citizens’ lives and property, adding that negligence in fulfilling this responsibility led to serious consequences in the case.
While accepting the plaintiff’s claim for damages filed under the Fatal Accidents Act, the court ordered SSGC to compensate the plaintiff Rs 15 million for each victim, directing the gas utility company to pay Rs30 million within the stipulated time.
