KARACHI: A fire was brought under control after four and a half hours at a shopping mall on Rashid Minhas Road in Karachi, where the blaze broke out in the early hours of Wednesday.
Chief Fire Officer Humayun Khan, speaking to Geo News, said the fire had originated on the roof and spread to the fourth and third floors, which house garment shops.
He added that eleven fire brigade vehicles and two snorkels took part in the firefighting operation, which faced some difficulties due to a shortage of water.
Rescue officials said that the fire had damaged the roof and third floor of the shopping mall, affecting shops and offices. Fire was also present on the second and first floors, but with less intensity.
Residents of the adjacent residential building were evacuated for safety, and no injuries were reported. The residential building remained safe, according to Rescue officials.
Earlier this month, a fire erupted in a factory located in the Landhi Export Processing Zone in the early hours of the day, which spread rapidly and engulfed three nearby factories due to the presence of combustible material, according to Rescue 1122 officials.
Firefighters sustained injuries after a portion of the building collapsed; the incident was declared a “third degree” fire. The injured KMC firemen were immediately shifted to the hospital.
