KARACHI: A huge fire erupted in two warehouses containing solar panels and cosmetics in the Hawkesbay area on Tuesday, officials said.

While the fire at the solar panel warehouse was controlled after 12 hours, efforts were underway to put out the blaze in the cosmetics storage unit till late in the night.

DIG-South Syed Asad Raza told Dawn that the exact cause of the fire was being ascertained.

He said police had rushed to the spot and rescued workers from the warehouses while Fire Brigade and Rescue-1122 were called. Realising the gravity of the problem, fire tenders from the Pakistan Navy and Air Force were also called, he added.

Sindh Government’s Rescue-1122 official Hassaan Khan told Dawn that they initially received information about a fire in one Ansari Godown at Hawkesbay.

When their team reached the spot, they realised that it was the warehouse of solar panels, solar batteries and other inflammable material and chemicals due to which it was difficult to control it with water. Therefore, foam was used to control the blaze, Mr Khan added.

The official said the presence of chemical material there caused rapid spread of fire, prompting them to call back up teams. The fire was so huge that it also engulfed another warehouse nearby.

“The second warehouse primarily dealt with chemicals,” opined Mr Khan as “hazardous, inflammable chemical” was present there, which was being used for manufacturing perfumes, cosmetics, make-up material.

He said that thousands of liters of the foam had been used but the fire at the second warehouse could not be controlled after a passage of 12 hours.

Published in Dawn, October 2nd, 2024