Pakistan probes link between soybean dust and deaths in port city of Karachi

Men wearing face masks wait to see their relatives who were admitted after being affected from a suspected gas leak, at the hospital entrance in Karachi, Pakistan February 18, 2020. REUTERS/Akhtar Soomro

KARACHI, Pakistan (Reuters) - Authorities in Pakistan are investigating if exposure to soybean dust, which can cause severe allergic reactions, is responsible for at least 14 deaths and dozens of illnesses in the southern 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, after many patients complained of an unfamiliar odour.