Another slum gutted

Four injured, thirty shanties, dozens of motorcycles, rickshaws burnt to ashes

KARACHI:

Following the blaze under the Teeh Hatti Bridge, another shanty town caught fire in the city after midnight on Friday.

Four persons-including two women-sustained burn injuries in the fire that burnt down multiple motorbikes, rickshaws, bicycles, and more than thirty shanties, along with the belongings of the impoverished people. More than 50 huts and the belongings kept within were destroyed in a fire that occurred in said settlement last year.

The fire that broke out in the early hour of Friday in the Gulshan-e-Qadri slum behind the Anwar Baloch Hotel in the Bakra Piri area of Malir City was contained after more than three hours of struggle.

Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) Fire Department spokesperson said three fire tenders were dispatched to the scene when the incident was reported on 12:19am. However, three more fire tenders were sent to the scene due to the fire's intensity. The Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation was also notified to ensure that the water supply continues.

Read 60 shanties gutted in massive fire

The spokesperson stated that the fire tenders encountered significant challenges while attempting to access due to narrow streets.

The fire caused injuries to Sridevi, 30, her husband Sikandar Azam, 35, Resham, wife of Lal Das, 45, and Raja, 25. The injured were transported by Edhi and Chippa Ambulances to the Burns Ward of the Civil Hospital. While the other injured people's conditions are not in danger, Raja's situation is serious.

The majority of the victims claimed to be from Sukkur, Ghotki, Daharki, and its surrounding areas. They arrived in Karachi with the assistance of the Sindh government and settled in the government-established camps after floods caused devastation in the region around 15 years ago. Later, they settled in Karachi. Most of them make glassware, sell used clothing, vegetables.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 6^th, 2024.