Fire at Karachi's Shahrah-e-Faisal building sends two to hospital

Smoke engulfed the building, causing five people to lose consciousness

KARACHI:

A fire broke out on the ninth floor of a building near Metropole Hotel on Shahrah-e-Faisal in Karachi, causing smoke to fill the structure and resulting in five people losing consciousness.

According to police officials, two of the affected individuals have been transported to Jinnah Hospital for treatment.

Due to the dense smoke, the rescue operation was initially halted but resumed shortly afterwards. All 50 individuals inside the building were successfully evacuated, including those on the roof, who were brought down using a snorkel.

Authorities reported that ten fire brigade vehicles and two snorkels are currently at the scene to extinguish the fire.

Additionally, the road from Jinnah Hospital to Metropole has been closed to traffic. Traffic police are redirecting vehicles from FTC to Kala Pul to manage the situation.

Fire brigade officials confirmed that there are no further reports of individuals trapped inside the building and expressed confidence that the fire would be brought under control soon.

The Pakistan Navy's firefighters are assisting in the efforts to contain the blaze. According to a spokesperson for the Pakistan Navy, five fire tenders, a snorkel, and personnel from the Navy are aiding in the firefighting operations.