KARACHI: As the death toll from Thursday’s explosion at a fireworks shop on M.A. Jinnah Road reached six, police authorities are taking measures to safely dispose of around five tonnes of explosive material stored in three warehouses in the blast-hit building, it emerged on Friday.

Two people were killed and 33 others suffered burns when a huge blast ripped through a fireworks shop located in a ground-plus-two-storey building near Taj Complex on M.A. Jinnah Road. The blast followed fire that broke out in the building.

Officials said that the fire at the building was put out but the cooling work was still underway.

Police Surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed told Dawn that four more injured persons died during treatment.

She said the deaths occurred because of “multiple crush injuries and suffocation”.

• DIG says efforts underway to dispose of huge quantities of explosives stored in three warehouses • Death toll climbs to six as four more die in firecrackers shop explosion incident

South DIG Syed Asad Raza told Dawn the bomb disposal squad had examined Al-Amna Plaza ground floor shop where the fireworks were stored.

He said about “5,000kg” of fireworks material was still lying in the building’s three warehouses in two containers while other material also lying outside the building in an open place in “dangerous condition”.

There was an urgent need to neutralise the hazardous stockpile of the fireworks, as per findings of the bomb disposal squad team, he added.

“We are removing and disposing of the rest of the explosives with the help of agencies concerned,” said the DIG.

They said that a case was registered against two brothers, who are the proprietors.

During the inspection of the warehouse named Super Fire Works, it transpired that nearly 300 cartons of the fireworks, weighing around 500 kilogrammes, were burnt due to “mishandling”. The building was also badly damaged while the explosion had serious effects extending up to 180 meters in the surrounding area.

The Preedy police have registered an FIR over manslaughter and other charges against two brothers, who are the owners of the warehouse, namely Hanif, alias Patakha, and Mohammed Ayub, on behalf of state through a police officer.

As per the FIR, the suspects had stored fireworks in ‘excessive’ quantities in a haphazard manner without any precautionary measures and their negligence and carelessness caused loss of precious human lives. Hanif was injured in the incident while Ayub managed to escape from the spot in his car.

Published in Dawn, August 23rd, 2025