Exposure to soybean dust is being investigated as the possible cause of at least 14 deaths and hundreds of illnesses in the port city of Karachi.
More than 200 people have been hospitalised or treated for breathing problems since Sunday as authorities try to determine if a leak of toxic gas was to blame.
“We think this may be due to overexposure to soybean dust,” the International Centre for Chemical and Biological Sciences said.
It urged extreme care during the unloading of soybean containers at the port, adding that exposure to the dust had been known to cause breathing ailments and deaths.
Schools in the area were shut for a third day and protests were held as residents blamed authorities for not doing enough to prevent the deaths.
