Fire sweeps through 15-storey building on Sharae Faisal

Six injured in inferno caused by ageing electric cables in ducts

KARACHI:

A huge fire swept through a multi-storey building on Sharae Faisal around 10:30am on Friday, but luckily there was no loss of life. A large number of people were trapped on the building named Kashif Center due to the lack of emergency exits. Initially, two fire tenders and a snorkel from the Fire Brigade of Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) were deployed to douse the blaze, but additional resources were required due to the fire's severity.

Emergency teams from Rescue 1122, Pakistan Navy, police, and Rangers arrived at the scene to launch a rescue operation and combat the blaze. Rescuers evacuated people up to the eighth floor while those on upper floors were guided to the building's roof via telephone communication. Most of those trapped on the roof were women.

KMC's large snorkel was sent to reach the roof, but the Fire Brigade faced difficulties in positioning the equipment. After around 90 minutes, it was decided to place the snorkel on Sharae Faisal and evacuate people from the roof. This led to one lane of the busiest city artery being closed, causing long traffic delays.

According to Chief Fire Officer Ishtiaq Ahmed, the conflagration was ignited by electric cables on the fourth floor and spread to the 12th floor. The fire produced dense smoke, complicating efforts to contain it. Ahmed confirmed that people from two floors had been safely moved to the roof, where they had access to fresh air and were no longer in immediate danger. He added that a large snorkel was on-site to help in the evacuation from rooftop and that the fire was being managed in two sections due to the dense smoke and difficult conditions.

Rescue 1122 Director General Dr Abid Sheikh stated that the fire was first reported to their control room at 11am. Around 70 firefighters, including many women, were involved in the operation. Initially, the fire was reported to be on the fifth floor, and a snorkel was deployed. Rescue efforts continued with the assistance of two snorkels, successfully evacuating more than 50 people from the rooftop without any casualties.

The chief fire officer later confirmed that the fire was brought under control by 3pm after four and a half hours of intense effort. The inferno had caused damage to some offices on the seventh floor. Two KMC snorkels, one water bowser, five fire tenders, and additional resources from Rescue 1122 and Pakistan Navy took part in the operation. The extent of the damage will be assessed later.

Dr Sheikh announced that all involved agencies - Rescue 1122, KMC Fire Brigade, Pakistan Navy Fire Brigade, police, and Rangers - would conduct a thorough search of the building. The closed lane on Sharae Faisal was reopened to traffic after the removal of additional firefighting equipment, while two fire tenders along with one water bowser remain on-site for any emergencies.