Karachi: Three people were injured after a fire broke out at a used-clothes factory in Karachi’s Export Processing Zone (EPZ) on Monday, with firefighters continuing efforts to bring the blaze under control, Rescue 1122 Sindh said.
The fire started on the ground floor of the factory in Landhi and later spread upwards, engulfing the entire ground-plus-two-storey building, according to Rescue 1122 spokesperson Hassaan Ul Haseeb, according to Arab News.
Haseeb said workers were evacuated after the fire broke out and Rescue 1122 personnel rescued seven people from the building. Three of those rescued fell unconscious after inhaling smoke and were taken to hospital. He said they were out of danger.
The fire had reached a fully developed stage, making it difficult to determine when it would be brought under control. Haseeb also warned that the building could collapse because of the intense heat.
Sixteen fire brigade vehicles, two snorkels, water bowsers and a disaster response vehicle were being used in the firefighting operation.
Adjoining factories were also evacuated as firefighters worked to prevent the flames from spreading to neighbouring units. One nearby factory remained at risk from the fire, according to the Rescue 1122 official.
Haseeb said the cause of the fire had not yet been determined. An investigation will be conducted after the blaze is completely extinguished.
The affected building had been declared “structurally hazardous” by Rescue 1122, prompting firefighters to adopt a defensive approach and tackle the fire from outside the premises.
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah directed authorities to use all available resources to contain the fire and sought a report from the Karachi commissioner and local administration.
The incident is the latest in a series of fires reported in the Landhi Export Processing Zone this year.
In February, a fire at the Modern Factory, a plastic processing unit, spread to a neighbouring building and took about 13 hours to control. In May, a fire at a used-garments factory in the EPZ’s Sukhan area took about six hours to contain. No casualties were reported in either incident.
Fires are frequently reported in Karachi’s industrial areas, with officials citing faulty wiring, inadequate safety compliance and weak enforcement of building regulations among the factors involved.
A fire at Gul Plaza Shopping Mall in Karachi in January killed at least 67 people, prompting increased scrutiny of fire safety and emergency preparedness in commercial and industrial buildings.
