Karachi high-rise engulfed in flames

KARACHI: A raging fire engulfed a 16-storey building situated near the Nursery stop on Karachi's main artery Sharea Faisal Saturday night, with no reports of casualties so far, officials said.

Officials confirmed that more than 12 fire tenders and two snorkels were present at the scene of the fire, while several water tankers and two water bowsers are present at the site to ensure a steady supply of water to contain the blaze.

According to a witness at the scene of the conflagration, there are some people on the eighth floor of the building, called the Portway Trade Centre, which is right beside a petrol pump. 

The blaze, rated by fire tenders as a third-degree fire, erupted in a billboard on top of the building — which houses several offices, as indicated by fire department personnel — and subsequently engulfed the entire building, according to sources.

According to the chief fire officer, the blaze has been largely contained, and efforts are underway by firefighters to enter the building.

Law enforcement personnel, including the police and Rangers, are present at the location to maintain order. Officials said that the petrol pump adjacent to the building has also been shut down, along with Shahrah-e-Quaideen bridge.

"The intensity of the fire on the lower floors of the building has been reduced," the fire officials confirmed, adding that efforts are underway to extinguish the raging fire on the top floors with the help of a snorkel.

According to officials from the Karachi Water Board, water tankers from the NIPA and Safoora hydrants have been sent to the location of the fire.

At first, three fire brigade vehicles arrived at the scene in an attempt to extinguish the blaze.

However, due to the severity of the fire, additional firefighting vehicles were summoned from across the city to help with the firefighting operation on the upper floors of the building.