Goods gutted as fire erupts in nine-storey structure

Flames engulfed two floors of commercial cum residential building

KARACHI:

A nine-storey commercial cum residential building in Lyari's Moosa Lane was up in flames on Tuesday after a fire sparked in the market located on the ground floor of the building.

No loss of life was reported but goods worth millions of rupees were gutted in the blaze.

According to the fire department, the fire broke out during the night between Monday and Tuesday and fire tenders were immediately dispatched to the site. The spokesperson said that the first three floors of the building housed a supermarket and the remaining six floors were residential. The fire sparked on the ground floor, said the spokesperson, adding that the flames spread rapidly and engulfed the first and second floors of the building.

The extinguishing operation took six fire tenders and two bowsers and two hours.

Although no fatalities were reported, the condition of some residents deteriorated due to the smoke.

Residents complained that the fire escalated due to delays by the fire department. Only one fire tender was reportedly sent at first and it soon ran out of water.

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However, the fire department spokesperson said that fire fighters struggled during the extinguishing operation due to the narrow lanes in the neighbourhood. He said that the first fire tender reached the site around 4am and more fire tenders were dispatched later given the intensity of the blaze. He added the mart was cluttered with goods, which further hindered the operation.

The cause of the fire could not be immediately ascertained.

Meanwhile, two shops were gutted in a blaze in Manzoor Colony areas. Fire officials said the flames were doused using two fire tenders. The cause behind the fire could not be ascertained till the filing of this report and investigation was underway.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 25^th, 2021.