KARACHI: A Karachi-based court has held Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) accountable for negligence in connection with the deaths resulting from a deadly gas explosion in Orangi Town’s Millat Colony in 2022. The court has instructed the utility provider to pay Rs30 million in damages to the family of the victims within one month.
The ruling was delivered by Senior Civil Judge Karachi West, Salman Amjad Siddiqui, in a civil case filed by Aliza, whose parents lost their lives in the October 2022 incident caused by a gas leak inside their residence.
Advocate Usman Farooq, representing the petitioner, stated that SSGC is responsible for the maintenance and distribution of gas in the area. Despite multiple complaints about gas leaks, the company allegedly failed to repair the defective pipeline, which the lawyer argued directly contributed to the tragic explosion. The plaintiff initially sought Rs42.8 million as compensation.
In response, SSGC’s legal representatives denied the allegations, asserting that there was no gas leakage from their side. They also argued that the claimant was not a registered customer of SSGC and that her compensation claim was invalid.
The court, however, noted that an SSGC witness had acknowledged the authenticity of the gas pipeline evidence presented by the plaintiff. It concluded that the explosion was caused by a gas leak and that SSGC had neglected its duty to prevent such incidents.
The court emphasized that gas distribution companies are legally obligated to safeguard public safety and property. It found SSGC’s failure to fulfill this duty to be a significant factor in the tragedy.
Following legal provisions under the Fatal Accidents Act, the court awarded Rs15 million in damages for each of the two victims, totaling Rs30 million, and ordered the company to make the payment within the specified period.
