In flames: Fire guts paint factory

KARACHI:

Several workers fell unconscious while goods worth millions of rupees were gutted when a fire broke out in a paint-manufacturing factory on Monday morning.

The fire broke out in the basement of a paint factory located in the SITE area. The fire brigade department received information about the fire at around 9:54am in the morning.

At first, the fire department dispatched only two fire tenders. But, later they dispatched nine more tenders with three water bowsers to douse the fire.

"The factory workers tried to extinguish it on their own but it spread quickly because of the presence of the chemical containers inside the basement," explained the fire brigade spokesperson.

"The fire erupted only in the basement but it also affected the entire factory," he added. The firefighters faced problems in controlling the flames due to the unavailability of the foam used to extinguish fire.

Several workers fell unconscious as clouds of smoke enveloped the area, but four were taken to a nearby hospital for medical treatment. The cause of the fire has yet to be ascertained.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 22^nd, 2016.