Fire at chemical warehouse in Karachi brought under control

Chief fire officer says eight KMC fire trucks and four Rescue 1122 vehicles were deployed; no casualties reported

KARACHI:

A fire erupted at a warehouse housing chemical materials in Karachi's Site Area on Tuesday, police said. The Chief Fire Officer Humayun Khan said the fire has been brought under control. 

The fire reportedly started in a wooden pallet, and the roof of the warehouse, made of tin sheets, collapsed due to the flames.

Speaking about the incident, Khan said, “The fire has been controlled, and cooling operations have now begun. This process may continue for 10 to 12 hours to ensure the fire does not reignite.”

He confirmed that a total of eight Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) fire vehicles and four Rescue 1122 vehicles were deployed to contain the blaze. “No casualties have been reported so far,” he added.

According to initial reports, around 16 people were rescued and moved to safety. The warehouse employed approximately 250 workers.

“The surrounding factories were secured to prevent the fire from spreading,” Khan said, highlighting the coordinated effort by emergency teams. Investigations into the cause of the fire are underway.

In a post on X, Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab said, “KMC fire team is attending to the fire incident reported at a factory in SITE Industrial Area. Will keep everyone posted.”

KMC fire team is attending to the fire incident reported at a factory in SITE Industrial Area. Will keep everyone posted pic.twitter.com/ykzGguqGg7

— Murtaza Wahab Siddiqui (@murtazawahab1) February 17, 2026

A day earlier, a fire broke out in the bushes within the University of Karachi campus, rapidly intensifying and producing visible smoke and flames that could be seen from a distance. Upon receiving the alert, the fire brigade and rescue teams promptly rushed to the scene.

The chief fire officer had stated that firefighters, with the support of six fire tenders, managed to contain the fire after two hours of intense efforts, preventing it from spreading toward nearby populated areas.