- No one is present inside the affected factory, the fire chief says.
- The official says that cotton and plastic fuel the flames.
- Cracks appear on factory walls due to fire, says official.
KARACHI: A massive fire broke out at a factory in the Export Processing Zone (EPZ) in Landhi area of Karachi on Friday night.
Firefighters and snorkel teams have been called in from across the port city to extinguish the third degree fire at the factory, said Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) fire chief Humayun Khan.
“There is no one in the affected factory,” the fire chief said, citing reports.
Cracks have started appearing on the walls of the affected factory due to the intense fire, the official said, adding that two KMC snorkellers are currently participating in the firefighting efforts, adding that one more snorkeller 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 control the blaze.
He said the factory contained cotton and plastic, which are fueling the flames.
According to a Rescue 1122 spokesperson, the fire occurred in a plastic factory in the ZPE. The fire started on the ground floor and quickly spread to the first floor of the building, according to the spokesperson.
Meanwhile, Sindh Inspector General of Police Javed Alam Odho ordered that the surrounding areas be kept free of traffic for fire and rescue teams.
The latest incident comes days after a fire broke out at the Saddar mobile phone market, which was quickly brought under control by rescue teams.
Last month, on January 17, the largest fire in more than a decade broke out at the Gul Plaza shopping center in Karachi and quickly spread through the sprawling complex, famous for its 1,200 mom-and-pop shops selling wedding clothes, toys, tableware and other products.
Investigators discovered that the fire originated in a ground-floor flower shop, was started by a child, and quickly spread through air conditioning (AC) ducts to other parts of the building. The tragic incident claimed at least 80 lives, with most of the deaths occurring on the mezzanine.
