SWABI: Goods worth millions of rupees were reduced to ashes after a fire broke out in a packages factory in Gadoon Amazai Industrial Estate (GAIE) on Wednesday evening.

The fire was so intense that Rescue 1122 and the district administration had to seek help from Tarbela dam mangement and Mardan and Haripur district administrations. The blaze was later put out by 8am early on Thursday morning.

The fire that broke out in the godown of Margala packages factory also engulfed other sections of the facility, forcing the management to declare emergency and shift about 300 workers to safety.

When contacted, president of Gadoon Industrial Assocation, said that the GAIE fire brigade, the rescue of the entire district and periphery districts took part in putting out the raging fire.

An industrialist said that the fire caused a huge loss to the owner and lauded the role of the firefighters who succeeded in preventing the fire from spreading to other factories.

About the loss, a factory official said that it was in millions because the godown where the bags were stored was destroyed. However, another official said that the losses incurred might be around Rs600 million.

Answaring a question, he said the fire might have been started due to a short circuit.

Published in Dawn, November 4th, 2022