KARACHI: Firefighters in Karachi were able to finally extinguish after 20 hours an inferno that had gripped three factories in the port city's Landhi area.
According to fire brigade officials, initial investigations suggest that the fire had occurred due to a short circuit. They said that 15 fire tenders, 10 water bowsers, and one snorkel took part in the extinguishing process.
The officials stated that rescue workers have started the cooling process at the scene after extinguishing the blaze, adding that the process will end tonight.
The fire brigade officials stated that the blaze completely destroyed two factories and one factory was damaged at least 60%. The also shared that two buildings affected by the fire have also been declared as damaged.
‘Fire stopped from progressing further’
Earlier, spokesperson of Landhi Export Processing Zone Malik Abdul Aziz had said that the fire had been stopped from progressing further to cause more damage to the surrounding factories and buildings.
Aziz said that initial information suggested that the fire started due to a short-circuit in one of the factories.
"We suffered a financial loss but our lives got saved," he said.
The spokesman told that the fire has engulfed three factories, adding that the fire engulfed the cardboard factory then extended to the other two – which manufactured garments and plastic.
Lauding the performance of those who participated in the rescue operation, Aziz said that the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation, Pakistan Navy, and others assisted during the extinguishing and evacuation process.
At the EPZ in Landhi, the fire first started in a cardboard factory which later on spread to the neighbouring factories around 6pm on Sunday.
At the time of the incident, locals and foreigners were present inside the factory when the fire broke out, officials said.
The blaze — categorised as Level 3 — had engulfed the surrounding three factories of cardboard, plastic, and textile, fire brigade officials said.
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