At least five firefighters were injured on Sunday while fought for a flame that tore through several factories in Karachi’s Landhi export processing zone, emergencies said.
According to Rescue 1122, the fire broke out in the early hours in the morning in one of the factories and quickly spread to three adjacent units due to the presence of flammable materials such as chemicals and textiles.
Rescue officials confirmed that the wounded firefighters, all staff of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC), were rushed to the hospital for treatment. One of them remains in critical condition after a section of the burning structure collapsed during the fire control effort.
The largest operator of the rescue department told the media that close smoke and water shortages inhibited the efforts. He added that the affected buildings have been declared structurally unsafe after the fire.
The authorities have not yet determined the cause of the fire, but cited the storage of chemicals and substances as contributing factors to the rapid spread. Authorities continue to assess damage and investigate the origin of the fire.
