Blast at fireworks warehouse rocks MA Jinnah Road
Thick plumes of smoke billow through the air as a blazing inferno engulfs Al-Amna Plaza on MA Jinnah Road after fireworks warehouse explosion. Charred motorcycles, gutted shops, and shattered stairways tell the tale of devastation, leaving shopkeepers reeling from heavy losses. PHOTO: JALAL QURESHI/EXPRESS
At least two people were killed and 34 others injured when a massive explosion ripped through a fireworks store and warehouse at Al-Amna Plaza on MA Jinnah Road, opposite Capri Cinema, Thursday afternoon.
The powerful blast was heard several kilometers away and triggered a fire that damaged surrounding shops and structures, and left a nearby school building in ruins. Eyewitnesses reported that fireballs shot out in different directions at the moment of the explosion, hitting passersby and leaving several injured. After the blast, remnants of fireworks were scattered all around the site.
Scenes of devastation were witnessed during the search operation inside the building. Various shops located within the plaza were completely gutted, and nearly a dozen parked motorcycles were reduced to ashes.
The blast damaged the stairways leading up the building as well as its roof. Shopkeepers, whose businesses had been destroyed, gathered outside the plaza in grief, their eyes filled with tears as they watched their livelihoods and goods burn before them. They said the explosion had caused them losses worth millions of rupees.
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah sought a detailed report from Jinnah Hospital Executive Director Prof Dr Shahid Rasool and directed doctors to ensure the best possible medical care for all victims.
Deputy Commissioner South said that between six to eight, agencies issue NOCs (No Objection Certificates) for such businesses, with explosives allowed only in limited quantities. Al-Amna Plaza's operators reportedly last obtained an NOC in 2024. "The Explosives Department's technical team will determine the exact amount of material stored, and strict legal action will follow if violations are proven," he said.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Director of the Explosives Department revealed that no permission had been obtained from his office to store fireworks material at the site. "If the storage is under 50kg, the DC office issues the NOC. Anything beyond requires authorisation from the Explosives Department. From what we have seen so far, it appears more than 50 kg of material was kept inside," he added.
Police and Counter-Terrorism Department teams are probing whether safety protocols were violated in storing and handling fireworks material.