A chemical warehouse located near city's busiest commercial Light House area caught fire here on Friday evening; however no loss of life was reported. A fire department official sustained injuries during rescue operations. The fire was doused off hours after it erupted at the warehouse and then engulfed the adjoining plastic material godowns and shops. The sudden flames of fire caused fear and panic amongst residents living in the multi-story buildings.
"Chemical warehouses in downtown areas are extremely dangerous", said the Mayor Karachi Waseem Akhtar who visited the area to review the rescue operations. The Mayor said he has directed the Deputy Commissioner concerned to remove all such godowns from the area. Waseem said cause of fire could not be ascertained immediately; however investigations would be conducted in this regard, he added.
To a query regarding delayed rescue operations he said the fire brigade teams could not reach at the site immediately due to heavy traffic at M.A Jinnah road. Expressing concern over the incident, Governor Sindh Saeeduzzaman Siddiqui asked Commissioner Karachi to conduct investigation to ascertain the fact whether fire incident was a terrorist attempt or a human error. In a statement he underscored the need of advanced fire brigade system to protect peoples' lives and properties.