Boiler explosion death toll rises to 9

Dr Iftikhar Khan at the Allied Hospital, Faisalabad, told The Express Tribune that Sajjad Ahmed, a resident of Chak 214-RB Dhuddiwala, succumbed to his injuries on Friday night.

He said eight other workers, Aashiq Hussain, Sarfaraz, Muhammad Boota, Muhammad Usman, Waqas, Dilawar Hussain, Bashir Ahmed and Robin, were being treated. “We are hopeful they will recover soon.”

Nishatabad Station House Officer (SHO) Khalid Mehmood told The Express Tribune that police had registered a case against the mill’s management on a complaint by Assistant Sub Inspector Inayatullah. “But the relatives of the deceased stopped police from taking action against the management… they also tendered in writing applications, affidavits and undertakings not to initiate any legal proceedings on the issue.”

“The police have to close the case as those affected are not interested in pursuing it,” he said. The SHO said a separate case had been registered against general manager Mehmoodul Hasan and boiler engineer Sajjad Ahmad for violating environmental laws.

“Hasan is under interrogation… Ahmad has gotten an interim bail.”

202 factories issued notices

The Environment Protection Department (EPD) has issued notices to 202 industrial units in Faisalabad for polluting the environment.

District Officer (DO) Mian Muhammad Nawaz told The Express Tribune on Saturday that the factories were discharging poisonous effluent in drains at Madhuana, Awagat and Samundri. “The department has received numerous complaints from the residents about toxic waste released by the factories,” he said.

The DO said the EPD teams and the drainage authority had issued notices to the factories requiring the owners to submit analysis reports on their waste water within seven days. “The factories may be sealed and legal action initiated against them in case of default,” he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 5^th, 2014.