KARACHI, PAKISTAN — A massive factory fire at the Karachi Export Processing Zone (KEPZ) near Landhi, which began early Sunday morning, was finally brought under control by Monday evening after a relentless 36-hour battle. The inferno completely destroyed three factories and partially damaged a fourth, leaving five people injured, including four firefighters.
The fire, suspected to have started from a short circuit around 4:30 AM on Sunday, initially engulfed a chemical storage facility before rapidly spreading to two adjacent factories.
Rescue 1122 Chief Operating Officer Dr. Abid Jalaluddin Shaikh attributed the rapid spread to the presence of flammable materials, particularly garments, and strong winds. He stated that one factory was completely destroyed and collapsed, another was near collapse, and a third sustained significant damage.
Firefighters faced initial challenges due to a lack of water supply, but the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation later provided eight water bowsers to ensure continuous availability. Sixteen fire tenders and two snorkels were deployed to combat the blaze. Cooling operations were expected to continue late into Monday night.
Rescue 1122 spokesperson Hassaan Ul Haseeb confirmed the destruction of three factories and partial damage to a fourth. He noted a critical delay of 45 minutes in the initial response due to watchmen being asleep during the Eidul Azha holidays.
Haseeb also highlighted severe breaches of safety protocols, including the haphazard storage of flammable materials on every floor, lack of proper ventilation, and a non-functional internal fire suppression system, all of which exacerbated the inferno and posed significant challenges for firefighters battling thick, dense smoke.
In a separate incident on Monday afternoon, a fire erupted in three warehouses on main Mauripur Road. This blaze originated in a chemical and oil storage warehouse, with exploding drums causing debris to ignite two adjoining warehouses containing LPG cylinders and perfumes.
The Rescue 1122 spokesperson stated that standard operating procedures were also violated in this case, with combustible materials being “improperly stocked.” Firefighters, supported by seven tenders from Rescue 1122 and two from the Pakistan Navy, brought the fire under control after seven hours of intense effort.
Fortunately, no injuries were reported in this incident, though cooling efforts were ongoing Monday evening. The spokesperson cautioned that the presence of other nearby warehouses storing LPG cylinders could have led to much greater destruction if the fire had spread further. The exact cause and financial damage for this fire are also yet to be determined.
