Fire erupts in cardboard factory

Women, children in houses adjoining the factory were immediately evacuated

KARACHI: A fire erupted in a two-storey cardboard factory adjoining a residential area located in Bhangoria Goth, within the jurisdiction of the Azizabad Police Station, on Tuesday.

Initially, two fire tenders arrived at the spot but two others had to be sought to control the rapidly spreading blaze. Meanwhile, Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) dispatched water tankers to the site to replenish the fire tenders. It took nearly four hours to contain the fire.

Reportedly, fire brigade staff reached the site 45 minutes late, which delayed the operation.  However, according to fire department officials, fire tenders and firefighters were immediately sent to the site of the incident after they were informed of the fire. They said that the factory had just one entry point, which hampered the rescue efforts.

According to area residents, an eight-month-old toddler was exposed to the heat which caused skin redness.

Although no loss of life was reported in the incident, the residents expressed anger and sorrow at the tardiness of the fire department. They said they promptly left their homes following the eruption of the fire. "A major loss could have occurred had we not shifted immediately from our homes," said one of the disgruntled residents. Saying that fire incidents were common in Bhangoria Goth, they urged the government to take prompt action to remove factories from nearby residential areas.

Cardboard, furniture, machinery and other items housed in the factory were burnt to ashes in the fire. Besides, the fire trivially affected four of the homes located next to the factory. It also created cracks in the walls of the factory, after which the factory was declared dangerous.

The cause of the fire couldn't be determined till the filing of this report.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 18^th, 2020.