Fire at mobile market in Karachi’s Saddar brought under control

KARACHI: A large fire that erupted on Monday evening at Saddar’s mobile market was brought under control, according to police and rescue officials.

South Deputy Inspector General Syed Asad Raza told Dawn that the fire broke out on the 7th floor parking of the Al Najeeb mobile market at around 07:45pm.

He said the fire had erupted in a parking area located on the 7th floor of a high-rise building. He said that three cars were damaged in the blaze. He said the fire had been controlled while cooling work was ongoing.

Rescue 1122 said in a statement that two people were rescued safely. It said that the condition of two others was adversely affected by inhaling smoke, because of which they were being provided medical aid.

In a separate statement, the rescue service added that the fire had been brought under control and the cooling process was under way.

Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab said the situation was “under control so far” and Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) fire tenders and snorkels were present on the ground to tackle the situation.

“People are being evacuated as we speak. Will keep everyone posted,” he said.

He also urged the crowd to “stay back” so that rescue work could be carried out. He also shared a video of a large crowd surrounding a fire truck.

A statement by his office said he had taken immediate notice of the fire and directed the fire brigade to reach the site immediately.

“Ensure the safety of people’s lives and assets at any cost and speed up the rescue operation,” he directed. He also instructed officials to be on standby.

Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, meanwhile, contacted the Karachi mayor, commissioner and the inspector general, according to a statement issued by his office.

“Our first priority is to safely rescue the people stuck inside the building,” he directed. He also directed the police to manage the crowd at the scene so that the rescue operation would run smoothly.

He also directed that water be supplied to the fire brigade through the bowsers in a timely manner.

The incident comes a little over two weeks after a huge fire erupted at Karachi’s Gul Plaza, which claimed the lives of 73 people on January 17.