KARACHI: A fire erupted in an oil tanker at a petrol pump on Saturday near the Parking Plaza in Saddar area of Karachi.
At least six fire brigades were sent to the location and managed to diffuse the fire which erupted in an oil tanker. The oil tanker was transporting the petrol to a petrol pump when it caught fire while supplying the fuel.
Police and rangers are also present at the location while roads were blocked for traffic. The chief fire brigade officer told media that the fire has been brought under control by the fire brigade department and now the cooling process is underway.
Earlier on Saturday morning, a fire destroyed dozens of shanty huts in Karachi but there were no reports of any casualties in the incident. The fire broke out in a slum dwelling near Teen Hatti Pul in Liaquatabad area. Three fire tenders reached the scene and extinguished the blaze after hectic efforts. The cause of the fire has yet to be ascertained.
This is the fourth fire incident in Karachi in the last six days. On Wednesday, a fire engulfed a multi-storey building of the Queen Victoria Shopping Centre near Zainab Market. On Monday, a factory located in Karachi’s SITE area also caught fire. It could not be ascertained what caused it while on Sunday, a fire engulfed Karachi’s Cooperative Market in Saddar and inflicted heavy financial losses.
Earlier, a fire broke out in a betel nut warehouse located in Joria Bazaar area of Karachi. The blaze erupted at the ground floor of a three-storey building spread and engulfed the entire warehouse. Three fire brigade vehicles reached the spot and brought the fire under control.
Rescue sources said the fire was caused by a short circuit. They also informed that no casualty was reported in the incident but valuables worth millions of rupees were reduced to ashes by the fire. Karachi reports hundreds of fire incidents in a year owing to its outdated infrastructure and shortage of fire fighting equipment.
