Karachi:
At least five people were confirmed dead on Friday after a fireworks warehouse on the Ma Jinnah road in Karachi, it caught fire on Thursday night leaving 32 injured.
Two of the injured succumbed to their wounds during medical treatment, while three more bodies recovered from the rubble. Reming 30 are under treatment. However, a person could be trapped under the rubble, said the rescue 1122 officials.
South SSP Mahzar Ali, who visited the site on Thursday along with the bomb elimination team, told journalists that three more deaths had been removed from the rubble and that two seriously injured victims had died during the hospital treatment. “This has taken the number of dead to five,” he confirmed.
Read more: Explosion at Fireworks Warehouse Rocks Ma Jinnah Road
The authorities confirmed that the explosion caused Severe damage to the upper high school of government girls near Jacob Lines No 1. two of the school buildings, the staff room and a large part of its furniture were destroyed. The wall of the outer limit, the roof fans and the cabinets in the classrooms were also destroyed and debris of the collapsed structures scattered throughout the facilities.
“If the explosion had occurred during school hours, it could have been a massive tragedy. More than 1,000 girls study here, with around 75 teachers and 10 support employees,” Saima Naimat said. Express news.
The investigations revealed that the warehouse and stores belonged to Hanif Patakha, son of USMAN, and his brother Muhammad Ayub. They had supposedly stored excessive amounts of fireworks material in unsafe conditions, which caused the deadly explosion, which resulted in the loss of precious human lives and injuries to many others.
The SSP said the owner of the warehouse, Muhammad Hanif, has been put in police custody, while his brother and commercial partner, Muhammad Ayub, is fleeing. A case has already been registered against both brothers. “Revidas are being carried out and will be arrested soon.”
A FIR has registered on behalf of the State, police said.
The deputy director of the Explosives Department revealed that no office permission had been obtained to store the fireworks material on the site. “If the storage is less than 50 kg, the DC office issues a noc. Anything beyond [that] It requires authorization from the Explosives Department. For what we have seen so far, it seems that more than 50 kg of material remained inside, “he added.
Fire director Humayun Khan described the explosion so powerful that he damaged the main pillars of the building and the shattered windows of nearby structures. “It is assumed that fireworks are stored away from populated areas, stores and gasoline pumps, however, this warehouse was located right next to a School building, “he said.
The investigation now focuses on the warehouse license. “We are investigating when the fireworks license was issued and how its renewal process worked,” said the SSP.
Rescue 1122 by Muhammad Iftikhar Ahmed said that rescue operations would continue until they are sure that no one is under the rubble.
