Up in flames: All of city’s fire tenders rush to Landhi to put out factory blaze

KARACHI:

A fire burnt down a recycling factory for used clothes in the Landhi Export Processing Zone, as the workers were busy in the evening.

The fire, which seemed to have been caused by an electrical short circuit, erupted from the ground floor. It soon engulfed the first and the second floors and grew so big that all the fire engines of the city had to be called in.

Four fire tenders were dispatched to the site immediately. The chief fire officer, Ehtishamuddin Siddiqui, said that the fire just kept growing in intensity and they requested more tenders to help put it out. The ground and the first floors collapsed a short while after. Large stocks of garments were destroyed.

A snorkel and two large water tankers were dispatched.

According to Siddiqui, the factories built in the area do not take any safety measures. One reason the fire grew so big was that the staff of the Landhi Export Processing Zone did not inform the fire brigade officials on time and tried to put it out themselves at first.

The firefighters found it difficult to extinguish the blaze because they couldn’t find a way into the factory.

It was built in such a way that it left no space at any of its sides except the entrance.

“We are trying to contain the fire so that it doesn’t spread to adjacent buildings,” said Siddiqui. “We can’t be sure about how long it will take to put it out but I estimate at least six hours.”

Volunteers from different welfare associations and the City District Government Karachi also reached the spot and cordoned off the entire area.

The employees from the nearby factories also evacuated their offices and the gas and electricity supply to the whole area was cut off. Till around 11 pm, when this report was filed, the fire fighters were still at work.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 15^th, 2012.