Inquiry ordered into Karachi terminal fire

Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry has constituted an inquiry committee to investigate the cause of a fire at the Karachi International Container Terminal (KICT) and to fix responsibility to prevent similar incidents in the future.

According to a statement issued on Saturday, the committee will comprise senior officers from the Karachi Port Trust (KPT), who will coordinate with KICT operators to determine the reasons for the incident. The minister said KICT is a private terminal and that primary responsibility for safety measures rests with its administration.

Following media reports of the fire, the minister took immediate notice of the incident and directed all concerned officials, including KPT Chairman Rear Admiral (Retd) Shahid Ahmed, to ensure an immediate response. He also ordered the utilisation of all available resources to bring the fire under control and sought a detailed report.

The KPT senior team supervised the firefighting operation, which successfully brought the fire under control. No loss of life was reported. The minister said the coordinated response of the Karachi Port Trust, Pakistan Navy, Rescue 1122 and Karachi Shipyard fire units helped avert major losses. He said the extent of financial losses and the exact cause of the fire had yet to be determined and that investigations were ongoing.

According to the report submitted by KPT, the fire erupted at around 1:35pm in a container near Berth No 27 at the KICT terminal on West Wharf, Karachi Port.