KARACHI: An oil spill sparked a fire in bushes near the railway track at PIDC on Friday afternoon, rescue services officials said.

Rescue 1122 spokesperson Hassaan Ul Haseeb Khan said the service received information about the blaze and initially, one fire tender was sent, but as the flames intensified, two additional fire tenders were sent.

He said efforts to douse the fire with water failed and firefighters later discovered that the blaze had been caused by an oil spill. Therefore, they used specialised foam to extinguish it.

Thick smoke billowing from the site caused breathing difficulties for residents of a nearby railway colony. However, no injuries were reported.

Mr Khan said it was unclear where the oil had leaked from.

Published in Dawn, February 21st, 2026