Fire in FTC building brought under control after hours

KARACHI: A fire broke out at the FTC building on Shahrah-e-Faisal on Saturday night. No casualties were reported.

According to the fire department, the blaze that erupted on the sixth floor of the building at around 2:00am was brought under control after several hours of efforts. Two snorkels and 12 fire tenders took part in the firefighting operation, said chief fire officer Tehseen Ahmed Siddiqui.

Upon being informed of the fire incident, the fire brigade vehicles arrived at the site in no time, he said, adding the flames have been contained while the cooling process is underway.

Siddiqui said the cause of the fire couldn’t be ascertained immediately. Once the cooling process is over, the cause of the fire and the damage caused by it would be determined.

Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs also reached the site and directed Karachi Port Trust’s (KPT) fire team to assist the civic authorities in dousing the flames.

Karachi Commissioner Iftikhar Ali Shalwani said the fire department was alerted about the fire at around 2:00am after which a snorkel and fire engines were dispatched to the site. No casualties were reported, he added.

Earlier, on Feb 26, at least two labourers received burns wounds as a fire broke out in a garments factory located in New Karachi’s Gabol Town neighbourhood.