KARACHI: A fire that swept into a local timber market in Karachi's Old Haji Camp in the wee hours of Sunday was tended by fire fighters, DawnNews reported.

The process of cooling was under way. No casualties have been reported as yet.

The fire was rated a category three and had spread over a large area, engulfing nearby buildings in the densely populated locality.

At least six fire tenders had been called in to douse the blaze which had spread to the nearby residential Soomro Gali and surrounding shops.

Eyewitnesses said that the fire initially started in one building shortly after midnight, but quickly spread to dozens of nearby buildings.

The local residents came out of their houses following an emergency announcement from the local mosque, but some people were said to have been trapped inside their buildings due to the flames.

According to DawnNews, firefighters were currently engaged in attempts to extinguish the fire, but were facing problems due to the narrow lanes and close proximity of other buildings in the locality.

It was still unclear what had caused the fire to erupt, and officials said that anything in this regard could only be determined after a thorough investigation.

The Old Haji Camp area houses several commercial warehouses where timber is stored for the furniture manufacturing industry. The warehouses are surrounded by a densely populated residential area.