KARACHI: A catastrophic fire broke out at a papad factory in the Korangi industrial area on Wednesday, quickly escalating as flames spread through the facility’s large production and storage sections, ARY News reported.
According to reports, the blaze, fueled by highly combustible materials including industrial oil, plastic, and cardboard, has posed significant challenges to firefighting efforts, prompting a massive city-wide emergency response.
The Karachi Fire Brigade initially dispatched six vehicles to the scene. However, due to the intensity of the fire and the rapid consumption of flammable stock, additional fire tenders were called in from across the city.
Authorities confirmed that the factory has been fully evacuated. No casualties have been reported so far, but rescue officials cautioned that operations remain high-risk.
Firefighters are facing severe challenges from dense, toxic smoke and extreme heat, which have forced teams to break walls and doors at several points to access the flames and contain the fire from within.
In response to the urgent need for a consistent water supply, the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KWSC) declared an emergency at the Landhi Hydrant.
Following directives from CEO Ahmed Ali Siddiqui, a spokesperson confirmed that a fleet of water tankers was immediately deployed to support the Fire Brigade and Rescue 1122.
The KWSC assured that it would maintain an uninterrupted water supply until the fire is fully extinguished and the affected areas are cooled. Firefighting operations continue at full intensity to prevent the blaze from spreading to nearby industrial units.