Fire destroys 35 shops, 10 shanties at Karachi furniture market

A fire that broke out at a furniture market near Kamran Chowrangi in the city's Gulistan-e-Jauhar area destroyed around 35 shops and 10 to 12 shanties, along with the goods stored inside them, officials said on Friday. No casualties were reported.

KARACHI: A fire that broke out at a furniture market near Kamran Chowrangi in the city’s Gulistan-e-Jauhar area destroyed around 35 shops and 10 to 12 shanties, along with the goods stored inside them, officials said on Friday. No casualties were reported.

The blaze also spread to an adjoining residential building, but firefighters brought it under control before it caused further damage.

The fire erupted late on Thursday night at an open-air furniture market in Block 11 of Gulistan-e-Jauhar. Two fire engines and a Rescue 1122 team, accompanied by a fire truck and an ambulance, reached the scene shortly after receiving the alert.

Dry weather and strong winds caused the flames to spread rapidly, according to fire officials.

The Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation declared an emergency at the Safoora hydrant to ensure a continuous water supply after Chief Fire Officer Humayun Khan requested assistance.

Police and paramilitary Rangers personnel also reached the scene, while a K-Electric team disconnected the area’s power supply as a precaution. A large crowd gathered on nearby roads, causing traffic congestion.

As the fire intensified, additional fire engines and a water bowser were sent to the site. The Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) Fire Brigade deployed four fire engines and a water bowser, while three more fire tenders from other departments, including Rescue 1122, joined the operation.

Firefighters brought the blaze under control after about an hour and a half. Cooling operations continued afterwards to prevent it from reigniting.

Shopkeepers said the market had been operating for around 50 years and that furniture and other goods worth millions of rupees had been destroyed. They appealed to the Sindh government for financial assistance, saying the affected traders had lost their livelihoods.

Khan said fires tended to spread more rapidly during dry weather. He said the blaze had started at furniture shops on an open plot and suggested that negligence by people living in nearby shanties might have caused it. The cause of the fire and the extent of the financial losses had yet to be established.