As soon as the fire broke out in the chemical warehouse, fire fighters of the city government reached the spot to extinguish it. Instead, the fire spread over the stored chemicals in an area of one acre.
Fire Brigade officials said that 16 fire tenders were still at work to extinguish the fire while the fire fighters of the Karachi Port Trust and the Pakistan Navy were also assisting the city government fire fighters.
Besides putting out the fire, the fire fighters were also trying to save the adjacent factories from catching fire. During the process, three fire fighters suffered burns and they were shifted to a hospital for treatment.
The nature of chemical could not be ascertained immediately and whether the factory owner had taken appropriate safety measures set by the authorities concerned.
However, the provincial minister for labour and industries, Adil Siddiqui, ordered an inquiry into the incident to find the cause of the fire and ascertain if safety measures were taken or not.
The minister also ordered the arrest of the owners of the plot and cancelled the allotment of Plot No F-526 and F-525-A, adds APP.
He said that the losses caused by the blaze would be borne by the owners.
Ordering inquiry into the mater, the minister said that it should be ascertained as to how chemical godowns were constructed on these plots illegally while these were allotted for industrial purposes.
On receipt of the report of the incident, the minister reached the spot along with the CCPO and officials of SITE Ltd and supervised the rescue operation. Sindh home minister, city nazim and senior officials were also present.
MD SITE Ltd Shazar Shamoon informed the minister that the plots on Gas Turbine Road, were allotted to Akhlas Ahmed and Mohammed Hanif for industrial purposes.