- No one is present inside the affected factory, the fire chief said.
- An official says cotton and plastic are fueling the flames.
- Cracks appear in factory walls due to fire, official says.
KARACHI: A massive fire broke out at a factory in the Export Processing Zone (EPZ) in Landhi area of Karachi on Friday evening.
Firefighters and snorkelers were called from across the port city to put out the third-degree fire at the factory, said Humayun Khan, chief fire officer of Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC).
“No one is present at the affected factory,” the fire chief said, citing reports.
Cracks have started appearing in the walls of the affected factory due to the intense fire, the official said, adding that two snorkels of the KMC are currently taking part in the firefighting efforts, adding that another snorkel has been called in.
“The intensity of the fire is high,” the fire chief said, adding that fire crews were working from all sides to bring the fire under control.
He said the factory contained cotton and plastic that fueled the flames.
According to a spokesperson for Rescue 1122, the fire broke out in a plastic factory in the ZFE. The spokesperson said the fire started on the ground floor and quickly spread to the first floor of the building.
Meanwhile, Sindh Inspector General of Police Javed Alam Odho has ordered that the surrounding area be kept free of movement for fire and rescue teams.
The latest incident comes days after a fire broke out at Saddar mobile market, which was quickly brought under control by rescue teams.
Last month, the biggest fire in more than a decade broke out on January 17 at the Gul Plaza shopping mall in Karachi and quickly spread throughout the sprawling complex, famous for its 1,200 mom-and-pop stores selling wedding wear, toys, tableware and other items.
Investigators discovered that the fire had started in a flower shop on the ground floor and was started by a child, and quickly spread through the air conditioning ducts to other parts of the building. The tragic incident claimed the lives of at least 80 people, with the majority of deaths occurring on the mezzanine floor.
