Three workers killed in factory fire

Sparks from machines ignite cotton stock; victims trapped inside after roof collapsed

FAISALABAD:

A fire broke out at a cotton factory located on the Sargodha Road Bypass on Friday after sparks from machines ignited combustible material, killing three labourers and causing losses worth millions of rupees.

Rescue officials said the fire erupted at Allah Mahmood Iqbal Cotton Factory, situated in Chak 58-JB Lehlaan, within the jurisdiction of Sandal Bar police station. The blaze reportedly started when a machine blade broke, producing sparks that quickly spread through stacks of old cloth and cotton waste stored inside the factory.

The flames engulfed three workers who were present inside the premises at the time. The victims were identified as Jameel, 46, Muhammad Asghar, 25, and Adnan.

Jameel and Muhammad Asghar were residents of Layyah, while Adnan hailed from Jampura, district Rajanpur.

All three were burned alive and their bodies were reduced to charred remains before rescue teams could reach them.

Rescue 1122 officials said that after bringing the fire under control, a search operation was conducted inside the factory, during which the burned bodies of the three workers were recovered.

The bodies were handed over to Sandal Bar police, who shifted them to the Allied Hospital mortuary for post-mortem and initiated legal proceedings.

The intense fire also caused partial collapse of the factory's roof and walls.

Eight fire tenders and heavy rescue machinery were deployed to extinguish the blaze, while two ambulances remained on standby throughout the operation.

Fire-fighters battled the flames for several hours before finally bringing the situation under control.

Meanwhile, statistics reveal a sharp rise in fire incidents across Faisalabad district.

According to data obtained by Express, a total of 2,041 fire incidents were reported across Faisalabad and its four tehsils during the first 11 and a half months of 2025.

These incidents claimed 30 lives and left 144 people injured.

Of the injured, 35 were treated with first aid, while 92 were shifted to hospitals.

Fires affected 427 commercial areas, 449 homes and shops, and 732 open spaces and agricultural fields.

A particularly deadly incident occurred in November in the Mansoorabad police area of Malikpur, where a factory explosion triggered a fire that claimed dozens of lives.

In Chiniot Road's Chak Jhumra tehsil, 100 fire incidents were reported, including 12 in commercial areas, eight in homes and shops and 80 in open locations.

Samundri tehsil recorded 105 fire incidents, injuring three people, while Jaranwala reported 139 incidents, resulting in one death and 10 injuries. Tandlianwala tehsil saw 99 fire incidents, with four people affected.

Rescue 1122 officials said their teams worked tirelessly, day and night, to control these incidents, urging industrial units to strictly follow safety protocols to prevent such tragedies.