Half a dozen blazes were reported in different parts of the city on Saturday and Sunday.
Flames erupted in a plastic bag warehouse near Labour Square in the SITE Area. Fire-fighters launched an operation to douse the blaze with three fire tenders and three bowsers after receiving the complaint.
According to fire department officials, the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board assisted in the operation by supplying water tankers and the blaze was doused after an hour-long struggle.
They said that the warehouse had stored a large amount of plastic bags, used for packing rice. They further stated that no casualties were reported in the incident, but the goods kept in the warehouse were reduced to ashes. The cooling process continued till late at night.
Meanwhile, a blaze flared up in the bushes near Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre's emergency gate on Sunday, leading to chaos since vehicles were parked nearby. Hospital security guards and bystanders initially attempted to control the flames on their own but were forced to seek help from the fire department when they were unable to do so.
A fire tender quickly extinguished the fire, saving the vehicles parked in the area.
Moreover, a fire erupted in a buffalo farm in Bhains Colony. At first, farm workers tried to extinguish the blaze, but when the fire continued to spread, they contacted the fire department. It took the fire-fighters an hour to extinguish the fire. While all animals were rescued, the barn was gutted by the flames.
Furthermore, a blaze sprung up in the balcony of a residential apartment near Pehlwan Goth, rapidly spreading to other apartments.
Fire department officials were summoned and quickly doused the blaze. No casualties were reported.
Separately, a pole-mounted transformer caught fire in Banaras Colony in Orangi Town. A fire tender arrived on the spot after residents complained, while the fire department coordinated with the K-Electric and doused the flames shortly after suspending the power supply in the area.
Besides, a store located under a residential building in New Karachi also caught fire. Fire-fighters launched an operation to douse the flames, and according to a spokesperson, while no casualties were reported, the store and the goods inside were gutted.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 2nd, 2020.
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