Boats worth millions of rupees destroyed in blaze

Owners unhappy with fire dept and KFH, seek compensation

KARACHI:

At least a dozen fishing boats (or launches) were damaged in a blaze at the jetty of the Karachi Fish Harbour on Wednesday.

The fire broke out in the boats moored at berth number seven 7 within the limits of the Docks police station.

At least four fire tenders and a bowser were dispatched to the spot of the fire, which reportedly broke out at 4am.

The firefighting was stalled with 50 per cent of the fire contained when the tenders ran out of water. It resulted in the blaze flaring up rapidly.

After an interval of half an hour, a fire tender, a bowser and a fire engine of the Pakistan Navy reached the spot. The reinforcements helped those on the scene to bring the fire under control after battling it for another half hour.

The fire department spokesperson said they were alerted of the fire at 4:30pm, and they dispatched tenders straightaway. He said that if there was no shortage of water, the fire would have been controlled within an hour. "It took some time to control the fire due to non-supply of water by the Karachi Water & Sewerage Board."

The spokesperson said they were able to save dozens of fishing boats that could have easily been engulfed in flames.

He said that the cause of the fire could not be immediately known, while there was no loss of life due to the fire. Salim Katchi, a local, said that his fishing boat was reduced to ashes by the time he reached the area.

He said the person responsible for the security of the boats at the berth failed to report the fire when it broke out. “Every time there is a theft, the harbour watchman says it took place while he was on a break,” he added.

Salim claimed that he had bought the boat after borrowing millions of rupees which had now gone up in flames. He urged the Sindh government and the managing director of the KFH - 'who collects millions in taxes' - to compensate him for the loss.

Another boat owner, Murad Khan, said that his boat worth around Rs6 million was completely destroyed while his three other boats were damaged partially. He blamed the fire department for its slow and inadequate response and urged the authorities to compensate the affected boat owners over their losses.

Furniture market fire

A fire broke out in a shop in the furniture market located in the Aram Bagh area on Wednesday. The fire department was able to control the fire half an hour after arriving at the location. The blaze reduced goods, including wood, in the store to ashes. A short circuit is said to be the cause of the fire.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, February 9^th, 2023.