Karachi, December 06, 2023, The Europe Today: A huge fire broke out in furniture shops of an apartment located near Karachi’s Ayesha Manzil on Wednesday, with the firefighters working to extinguish the flames, according to the “The Gulf Observer“.
Media reports, quoting SSP Central Faisal Abdullah Chachar, said that flats above the shops are also getting affected, and efforts are underway to evacuate people from the building.
He said that additional fire brigade units have been requested, including 12 fire tenders, a snorkel, and a bowser.
Rescue teams have so far successfully evacuated one person in a critical condition from the building, according to rescue officials.
Rescue officials further said that the fire occurred due to a short circuit as per the preliminary investigation. They said that the fire also caused damage to numerous cars and motorcycles parked near the affected apartment.
According to the spokesperson of the Pakistan Navy, the navy’s fire tenders and personnel have also reached the scene of the incident, and they are providing full assistance in controlling the fire.
He said that the Pakistan Navy will provide all possible aid to extinguish the flames.
Express News, quoting sources, said goods worth millions of rupees have turned to ashes, while the owners of the shops were making efforts to save their belongings.
An emergency has been imposed on the water hydrants near Sakhi Hassan and NIPA.
Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori has taken notice of the incident, directing Karachi Commissioner to ensure the safety of the people inside the building.
Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab stated that the fire brigade is actively working to extinguish the fire. He said that assessing the number of people inside the building at this time would be premature.
Wahab expressed the administration’s commitment to preventing the further spread of fire, stating, “Our efforts are focused on preventing the fire from spreading any further at this time.”
Taking notice of the incident, Sindh Caretaker Chief Minister Justice (retd) Maqbool Baqar has directed the authorities for quick containment of the fire.
He instructed the commissioner and deputy commissioner to monitor the situation themselves, urging the authorities to evacuate people to safety as soon as possible.
He also directed additional fire brigade units to reach the incident site promptly and extinguish the fire.
