SSGC ordered to pay Rs30 million in damages over couple’s death in gas pipeline explosion

KARACHI: A court in Karachi has ordered the Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) to pay Rs30 million in damages to the daughter of a couple who were killed in a gas pipeline explosion in Orangi Town in 2022.

The Senior Civil Judge (West) ruled that SSGC was negligent for failing to repair the gas pipeline despite repeated complaints about gas leakage in the area.

The lawsuit was filed by the couple’s daughter, Alizeh, who had initially sought Rs90 million in compensation for the deaths of her parents. The case was presented by her counsel, Advocate Usman Farooq, before the Senior Civil Judge at the City Court.

According to the claim, SSGC is responsible for the supply of gas and the maintenance of gas pipelines. The explosion occurred due to gas leakage from an SSGC pipeline, which the company failed to address in time.

The victims died from severe burn injuries, while Alizeh’s siblings sustained serious injuries in the blast.

In its defense, SSGC argued that the gas leakage did not originate from its pipeline and claimed that the plaintiff was not its registered consumer. However, the court found this argument unconvincing, noting that an SSGC witness himself had accepted the gas cable presented by the plaintiff as authentic.

Announcing the verdict under the Fatal Accidents Act, the court directed SSGC to pay Rs30 million in compensation within one month.

The court observed that the explosion was caused by gas leakage and that the company failed to prevent the incident. It emphasized that a gas utility is responsible for ensuring the safety of citizens’ lives and property, and negligence in this duty can have severe consequences.