Karachi Gas Supply Hit After Red Line Pipeline Damage
Gas supply to several key areas of Karachi was suspended after excavation work linked to the Red Line bus rapid transit project damaged a high-pressure pipeline near Jail Chowrangi. The disruption affected thousands of households and businesses on Saturday evening, turning a routine construction phase into an urgent public utility crisis.
According to details shared by the Sui Southern Gas Company, a 12-inch high-pressure gas pipeline was struck during work on the mass transit corridor. The incident forced the company to immediately halt supply in multiple neighbourhoods to prevent further risk and allow emergency teams to access the damaged line safely.
The areas affected included Saddar, Garden, Jamshed Road, PIB Colony, Lyari, Lines Area and adjoining localities. Residents reported that gas supply dropped off around the evening cooking period, creating immediate hardship for families preparing meals and for small food-related businesses dependent on piped gas.
An SSGC spokesperson said technical teams reached the site soon after the incident and secured the damaged portion of the pipeline. Safety barriers were placed around the affected section as repair crews began work on an emergency basis to stabilise the supply network and prevent any hazardous leakage.
The company said gas restoration would be carried out gradually after repair work was completed. Officials indicated that the process would not be instant, as pressure testing and safety checks were required before normal supply could resume across the impacted neighbourhoods.
The incident has once again drawn attention to the challenges facing Karachi’s Red Line project, where underground infrastructure often overlaps with construction activity. Utility cables, water lines, gas pipelines and drainage systems in the city’s dense corridors have repeatedly complicated development work.
The Red Line BRT is considered one of Karachi’s major public transport projects, aimed at improving mobility across one of Pakistan’s largest and most congested cities. However, delays, route disruptions and utility-related incidents have kept the project under public scrutiny.
For Karachi residents, the latest gas outage highlights the cost of weak coordination between civic agencies, contractors and utility providers. While mass transit development is essential for the city’s long-term future, sudden disruptions to basic services can create immediate pressure on households, markets and daily life.
Authorities and utility officials are expected to review repair progress and restoration timelines as affected residents wait for full supply to return. The incident may also increase calls for stricter mapping of underground lines and stronger construction oversight to prevent similar breakdowns during future infrastructure work.