KARACHI: Hundreds of people were evacuated as a fire erupted in the cold storage of a department store situated on the ground floor of a mega shopping mall on Rashid Minhas Road in Federal B Area on Sunday afternoon, officials said.

Footage that went viral on social media showed people leaving the premises of LuckyOne Mall in panic as smoke spread rapidly.

Rescue-1122 spokesperson Hassaan Ul Haseeb Khan said they received information about the blaze at Carrefour in LuckyOne Shopping Mall at around 12noon and their fire tenders responded immediately.

The mall administration had a proper ventilation system and reasonable fire safety measures, which they activated, he said.

Officials said that a large number of shoppers and those enjoying their meal in the food court area were evacuated safely.

Mr Khan said two fire tenders managed to control the fire after hectic efforts lasting three hours.

Six employees of Carrefour, the department store, were adversely affected due to smoke inhalation. Four were provided first aid by the rescue team on the spot, while two were shifted to a nearby private hospital for treatment.

The mall was closed until 6pm when it resumed operations, the officials said.

The officials said a short circuit appeared to be the probable cause of the fire. However, investigations were underway.

An exact estimation of financial losses could not be made till late on Sunday night.

Published in Dawn, June 8th, 2026