A Karachi court has held Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) accountable for negligence in a fatal gas explosion case that claimed two lives in Orangi Town’s Millat Colony in 2022. The court directed SSGC to pay Rs30 million in compensation to the victims’ family within one month.
Senior Civil Judge Salman Amjad Siddiqui delivered the verdict on a civil suit filed by Aliza, whose parents died in the October 2022 explosion caused by a gas leak inside their home. The petitioner’s lawyer, Advocate Usman Farooq, argued that SSGC is responsible for gas distribution and maintenance and had ignored multiple complaints about gas leakage in the area. This failure to repair the defective line was cited as the direct cause of the tragedy. The plaintiff initially sought Rs42.8 million in damages.
Meanwhile, SSGC’s legal counsel denied any gas leakage from their lines and contended that the claimant was not a registered consumer, challenging the admissibility of the compensation claim. However, the court noted that an SSGC witness had confirmed the authenticity of the gas cable presented as evidence by the plaintiff.
In a significant development, the court ruled that the explosion resulted from gas leakage and that SSGC neglected to take necessary preventive actions. The judgment emphasized that gas distribution companies have a legal obligation to safeguard citizens’ lives and property, and failure to do so can lead to severe consequences.
Accepting the claim under the Fatal Accidents Act, the court ordered SSGC to pay Rs15 million for each victim, totaling Rs30 million, to be disbursed within the specified timeframe.
