Eight injured as blaze engulfs factory in Karachi's Landhi

structure collapses after the inferno, fire exposes lack of safety protocols

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KARACHI:

 

A fire broke out early Thursday morning at a five-storey factory dealing in second-hand clothes within the Landhi Export Processing Zone (KEPZ), causing the entire building to collapse and injuring eight people. The injured were rushed to nearby hospitals for treatment. However, there were no reported fatalities.

The fire reportedly started in the basement of the factory and rapidly spread to engulf the entire structure, eventually reaching two adjacent factories. Firefighting teams from the KMC, Rescue 1122, the Export Processing Zone, and other departments responded promptly. According to Rescue 1122 officer Yusra Ali, nine fire tenders participated in the operation.

Chief Fire Officer Humayun Khan said the fire was extremely intense due to the presence of flammable materials such as used clothing, wooden structures, and construction materials stored inside. Explosions and thick black smoke made it impossible for firefighters to enter the building. They had to fight the fire from the outside for over three hours. Ultimately, the factory collapsed completely.

Several workers, including women, were present inside the building when the fire broke out. In panic, many of them attempted to escape by using construction lifts or makeshift tools to climb down from the upper floors. Several female workers were injured in the chaos as they fled for their lives.

Chairman of the Export Processing Zone AD Khawaja said the factory had been in operation since 1980 and had been constructed with no passageways between adjacent buildings, making firetruck access impossible. He added that it was too early to assign blame for the fire and that a new fire safety mechanism would be introduced in the zone to prevent similar incidents.

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Humayun Khan confirmed that the fire consumed the entire 4,000-square-yard factory. While the fire reached four nearby factories, timely intervention helped protect them from major damage. He said that no firefighters were injured during the operation.

Deputy Mayor Karachi Salman Abdullah Murad praised the swift action of the fire brigade and confirmed that all workers had been safely evacuated. He added that additional fire trucks and rescue teams were present on-site to support the operation.

Deputy Commissioner Malir Saleem Odho said that the fire began in the basement and quickly compromised the entire building structure. He confirmed that eight injured individuals had been given immediate medical aid. The cooling process is still ongoing, and teams are working to ensure there is no reignition from the debris.

Following the collapse of the structure, cleanup and debris removal operations have begun. Small flames are still emerging from under the rubble, and firefighters continue to carry out cooling efforts.

The fire is reportedly under control now and efforts are underway but the fire brigade will reportedly continue with cooling and monitoring operations for five to six days, the chief fire officer said on Friday.

Later that night another fire broke located adjacent to the same factory in the Export Processing Zone this is the second fire incident in one day, According to the brigade oficial the fire erupted at around 11:30 pm on Thursday night and continued to Friday morning

The fire reportedly broke out in a factory named Home furnishing limited, Fourteen fire brigade vehicles took part in cooling efforts and after a total of five hours the fire was controled.

The Chief of Fire, stated that these incidents usually occur due to some form of negligence, and highlighted that no industrial building across the city had obtained (NOC) from the fire department during construction, nor did they adhere to the required protocols for installing firefighting equipment.

This incident has once again highlighted the inadequate fire safety systems in Karachi’s industrial zones. Authorities have emphasised the urgent need for comprehensive fire audits and the installation of internal firefighting mechanisms in all industrial buildings. While officials have pledged reforms, immediate and strict enforcement is necessary to prevent future disasters of this scale.