Fire destroys dozens of garment shops in Karachi

Shopkeepers allege that the fire may have started when someone lit a cigarette

KARACHI: A fire erupted in a garment shop located at the fourth floor of the International Centre on Abdullah Haroon Road on Thursday, which spread to engulf dozens of neighbouring shops.

Three fire tenders were sent by the fire department to control the blaze after receiving the information of the incident.  An emergency was declared at the Naya Hydrant as water was brought by water tankers to the site.

As the building filled with smoke, firefighters broke windows and used exhaust machines to suck the smoke out.

It took firefighters four hours to extinguish the blaze; in the duration, however, cloth, ready-made garments, machinery, and other goods worth millions of rupees were burnt to ashes.

Shopkeepers alleged that the fire may have started when someone lit a cigarette. They lamented that they had complained to the building’s owner about people doing drugs there, but no action had been taken so far and now they were suffering heavy losses.

Fire department officials were unable to give an estimate of the number of shops that were enveloped by the fire. However, an official said that they expected at least 25 shops to have been destroyed in the incident. 

Published in The Express Tribune, February 7^th, 2020.