A fire that erupted during deep excavation work in Karachi’s Korangi Crossing area entered its second day on Sunday, with the intensity of the blaze showing no signs of diminishing.
The incident occurred in the early hours of Saturday morning when a local construction company began drilling beyond 1,100 feet to install a tube well.
According to Chief Fire Officer Humayun Ahmed, methane gas is escaping from the ground under significant pressure. He explained that attempting to extinguish the fire at this stage could cause the gas to spread throughout the area, potentially endangering local residents.
Ahmed said that the fire can only be brought under control once the gas pressure subsides. He added that such fires can sometimes take two to three days to extinguish.
Meanwhile, a former managing director (MD) of Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL) said the fire was caused by biogenic gas and may take between a week to ten days to burn out completely.
On the other hand, Sui Southern Gas Company has clarified that it has no installations near Korangi Crossing. Chief Operating Officer of PPL, Sikandar Memon, said that the gas is not dangerous, although the size of the underground deposit is currently unknown. He confirmed that water samples are being collected, and further details are expected in the coming days.
Meanwhile, the former chief fire officer, Kazim Ali Khan, spoke to Geo News regarding the underground gas leak issue and advised that authorities avoid attempting to extinguish the fire immediately.
Instead, he recommended allowing the blaze to burn out naturally. "If the quantity of gas is limited, the fire will extinguish itself in 3 to 4 days," he said.
Khan noted that the mangroves in the area, along with sludge from nearby oil installations, could be contributing to the presence of biogas. He further explained that the released gas may contain dangerous components such as hydrogen sulfide or biogas. Hydrogen sulfide, he warned, is a highly toxic gas that can be fatal even in small amounts.
To contain the situation safely, the former fire officer suggested establishing earthen walls at a distance of 90 metres from the site of the.
Officials engaged in the firefighting operations admitted facing serious challenges in controlling the blaze.
Initially, firefighters attempted to douse the flames with water, but officials said this only intensified the heat. The strategy was later shifted to using soil and sand to smother the fire. More than 10 fire tenders, along with multiple water tankers, participated in the fire extinguishing operation.
However, it proved ineffective, as the high gas pressure kept causing the flames to resurface.
