KARACHI, July 3: The PSO lubricant manufacturing plant in Korangi Industrial Area, which was badly damaged by a huge fire on Saturday night, was not equipped with essential fire-fighting equipment, said a senior fire officer of the city government on Sunday.
“Considering the nature and magnitude of mishap, the plant lacked the standardized fire-fighting equipment, such as sprinkler system, etc.,” the Chief Fire Officer Kazim Ali told Dawn.
He said that according to the security officer of the plant, located near the National Refinery, the fire was caused by smouldering fire works resorted to by some people during celebrations in the adjoining Bilal Colony locality.
The burning splinters fell onto the highly inflammable oil stocks lying in the plant’s vicinity, he said.
The CFO maintained that the Fire Department had received the information about the fire at 11:05pm through a call from a nearby garment unit, and not from someone at the plant.
About the account of the plant’s security officer, he said the officer’s could not be relied upon until a formal investigation was carried out into the incident.
The fire had erupted at around 10.45pm on Saturday night at the PSO lubricant manufacturing plant and spread quickly.
The 20-meter high flames had lit up the sky and were visible from a big distance from the plant.
Mr Kazim Ali claimed that a major plant was saved from being completely destroyed as the fire had been prevented from engulfing the nearby oil terminals. Had the blaze not been extinguished within the plant, there would have been widespread destruction involving many installations, he indicated.
He estimated that 75 per cent of the vulnerable material at the plant saved due to prompt and effective operation by the fire-fighters who used as many as 2,000 gallons of foam to control the blaze. He said PARCO had also sent foam supplies in the operation.
He said that while 19 fire-tenders from across the city were employed by the city government, seven fire-tenders from Pakistan Navy, three from Pak Refinery, two from KPT and one each from National Refinery and Civil Aviation Authority also took part in the operation. The Rangers ensured supply of water, he added.
The CFO recalled that amid bombing in 1971, a similar fire at the Keamari oil terminal raged for 17 days and foam had been acquired from Iran to control the fire, the biggest in the country’s history.
PSO VERSION: A spokesman for the PSO claimed on Sunday that the Health, Safety and Environmental (HSE) measures in line with international standards were already in place at all PSO installations/depots all over the country, agencies add.
“The HSE immediately came into play following the fire and it was because of the extraordinary efforts by the PSO staff that no life was lost and property loss was minimized,” he maintained.
He said that of the four main sections of the Lube Manufacturing Terminal, the blending plant, storage tanks and office block remained safe. The tanks with base oil were not engulfed by the fire. He said that the extent of losses was being assessed. He said that the plant and its equipment, as well as PSO product were fully insured and relevant claims would be lodged accordingly.
The spokesman said that there would be no shortage or disruption in supplies of PSO products as the supply and main storage tanks were not hit at all.
The PSO management thanked all agencies, institutions and organizations, including the Pakistan Refinery, PARCO, NRI, the Rangers, KWSB, Navy, KPT, police, fire brigade, for extending cooperation and assistance in extinguishing the fire. It also thanked Home Minister Rauf Siddiqui and home secretary for their cooperation.
KARACHI, July 3: The PSO lubricant manufacturing plant in Korangi Industrial Area, which was badly damaged by a huge fire on Saturday night, was not equipped with essential fire-fighting equipment, said a senior fire officer of the city government on Sunday.
