Dozens of shanties gutted

Cause of fire unknown; no casualties reported

KARACHI:

Several shanties were burnt to ashes during an intensive blaze which broke out in a temporary settlement under Teen Hatti bridge. Ten fire brigade vehicles put out the blaze after an hour-long struggle. No casualties were reported in the incident.

Sources said the fire was so intense that it soon all the shanties close to the source. The fire brigade department was informed and it dispatched three vehicles. Due to the severity of the fire, the number of vehicles increased from time to time. The blaze also reached the lower part of the nearby Lyari Expressway flyover. However, it was immediately put out.

Fire brigade officials said a total of ten vehicles took part in the rescue operation and the blaze was brought under control after an hour-long struggle, following which the cooling process was started.

The cause of the fire was not immediately known. Dozens of huts were reduced to ashes due to the fire.

Not the first time

In January of 2020, many residing in shanties located under the Teen Hatti Bridge were roused from sleep to witness the harrowing sight of roaring flames sweeping through their rundown abodes, swallowing their minimal belongings and leaving behind a trail of ash and smoke.

However, despite being surrounded by the fast-spreading blaze, the dwellers were quick to vacate the shanties. As a result, no casualties were reported in the incident.

Read Fire at another market in a week

Speaking to The Express Tribune at the time, Central district chairperson Rehan Hashmi estimated that the inferno burned down around 200 shanties, and according to the district administration, the massive fire left 450 to 500 people homeless.

In the port city, there is one fire station for every 100,000 citizens, equipped with four fire tenders and staffed with just over 50 operational personnel, working round-the-clock in shifts.

Each shift will have at least 16 firefighters, eight drivers, four leading firemen, two sub-fire officers and one station officer.

If the city of 20 million people was to comply with international standards, it would have had 200 fully functioning fire brigade stations, staffed with more than 10,000 personnel.

The dilapidated state of Karachi's firefighting mechanism is especially alarming considering the city's urban landscape. With two ports, seven industrial zones and several densely packed residential areas and slums, fire hazards in the metropolis are manifold.

The absence of a fire safety code means many buildings operate without fire escapes and basic fire-extinguishing apparatus. As a result, an effective fire brigade is the only other option for the city to ward off a massive fire disaster.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 21^st, 2021.