KARACHI: In another unfortunate incident of inferno, a huge fire broke out in furniture shops of an apartment located near Karachi’s Ayesha Manzil yesterday, claiming the lives of three people.

As per details, the firefighters have managed to extinguish the flames after working tirelessly for several hours. At least 12 fire tenders, a snorkel, and a bowser participated. SSP Central Faisal Abdullah Chachar confirmed that three individuals have lost their lives in the incident so far, and their bodies have been recovered.

He said that the process of searching the building was ongoing, expressing concern about the presence of more people in the affected building. Rescue officials said that the fire occurred due to a short circuit as per the preliminary investigation.

They said that the fire also caused damage to numerous cars and motorcycles parked near the affected apartment.

According to the spokesperson of the Pakistan Navy, the navy's fire tenders and personnel also reached the scene of the incident, and provided full assistance in controlling the fire. Moreover, goods worth millions of rupees have turned to ashes, while owners of the shops made desperate efforts to save their belongings. An emergency was imposed on the water hydrants near Sakhi Hassan and NIPA.

Meanwhile, Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori took notice of the incident, and directed Karachi Commissioner to ensure the safety of the people inside the building. He emphasised the need to employ all available resources to bring the fire under control.  Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab stated that the fire brigade worked tirelessly to extinguish the fire.

He said that assessing the number of people inside the building at this time would be premature. Wahab expressed the administration's commitment to preventing the further spread of fire, stating, "Our efforts are focused on preventing the fire from spreading any further at this time."

Taking notice of the incident, Sindh Caretaker Chief Minister Justice (retd) Maqbool Baqar directed the authorities for quick containment of the fire. He instructed the commissioner and deputy commissioner to monitor the situation themselves, urging the authorities to evacuate people to safety as soon as possible.

He also directed additional fire brigade units to reach the incident site promptly and extinguish the fire.

Published in The Daily National Courier, December, 07 2023

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