Garment factory fire put out after hours of efforts

KARACHI: A fire that broke out in a garment factory in New Karachi neighborhood of the city was doused after hectic efforts lasting three hours, ARY News reported.

Tehseen Ahmed Siddiqui, the chief fire officer, said the fire had erupted at the industrial unit located near Nalla Stop in New Karachi Industrial Area, reducing the material on its third floor to ashes.

He said the fire service department received an emergency call at around 11 at night. No casualty was reported so far, he added.

Eight fire engines participated in the firefighting operation lasting three hours, he said adding that they are yet to determine the exact cause of the fire and volume of damage caused by it.

This is the fourth fire incident in the city in less than ten days. Earlier on Sunday night, the fire had erupted in the cardboard factory located near Shafeeq roundabout in North Karachi, which was brought under control after hectic efforts lasting eleven hours.

A massive fire had also erupted in a multi-story building located in an upscale locality of the metropolis last Sunday morning with no reports of casualties so far.

Initially, the fire began on the ground floor of the building, housing upscale eateries, located in Boat Basin area and soon spread to its 1st and 2nd floors due to its high intensity. Around eight fire engines doused the raging fire.

Before that a big fire had broken out in a warehouse of cosmetics items, destroying the two-story building and leaving an employee dead while two others injured.

The building was located in the residential area off Shahrah-e-Faisal, one of the city’s busiest thoroughfares.

Earlier on Aug 31, at least five people including three firefighters had suffered injuries after a fire erupted at a Garment factory in the SITE area. A portion of the factory had collapsed due to the fire.