A deadly blaze erupted in a shantytown in Gulistan-e-Jauhar on Wednesday, killing an elderly woman, wounding a man and displacing scores of residents. Meanwhile, a glue factory gutted in SITE.
A fire engulfed around 45 huts in a slum in Gulistan-e-Jauhar Block 16. Fire-fighters, policemen and rescue workers rushed to the site, recovering the body of Allah Wasai, 65, wife of Nabi Buksh, and rescuing the injured Rafiq, 45. Wasai's body was later moved to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre for an autopsy. Over 200 residents of the slum were also displaced.
According to fire department officials, initially only two fire engines were sent to the site, but ten more had to be sent as the extent of the blaze emerged. It took them more than two hours to extinguish the fire. SHO Ejaz Qaimkhani said that the cause of the fire was yet to be ascertained. He said that they would register an FIR if criminal involvement was found.
Earlier, a glue factory near Habib Bank Chowrangi caught fire. At least six fire engines were rushed to the site and the blaze was brought under control after two-and-a-half hours. A fire department spokesperson said that no human loss was reported, but the fire caused losses of millions of rupees. The cause of the fire has yet to be determined.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 20th, 2014.
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