The office of Karachi’s Mayor, Murtaza Wahab, was impacted by a fire that erupted in the kitchen located on the first floor next to the mayor’s office at the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) head office on MA Jinnah Road on Tuesday, according to a spokesperson for the KMC.
Upon receiving reports of the incident, the KMC fire brigade promptly arrived at the scene and managed to control the fire, as stated by fire brigade officials.
Officials confirmed that there were no casualties reported. They dispatched two fire tenders to extinguish the flames, they noted.
The Karachi mayor arrived at the KMC head office following the fire that affected his office and conducted an inspection of the damaged area, while also receiving a briefing from the municipal commissioner regarding the situation.
In a statement to the media, the mayor mentioned that the fire had ignited unexpectedly and that an investigation is currently underway to ascertain whether it was deliberately set or occurred accidentally.
“My room has been damaged by the fire, but the chamber itself remained intact,” the mayor remarked, emphasizing that prompt action had limited the fire’s spread to his room. He also mentioned that no important files were stored in his office, as all documents needing his signature had already been signed and forwarded to the appropriate department.
“No records were destroyed in my office,” the mayor clarified, noting that while the furniture, walls, and doors were charred, the essential documents were unharmed. He indicated that the fire originated from the air conditioning unit in his office, which is currently under further investigation.
“Any findings from the investigation will be communicated to the media,” he assured.
The incident comes a day after a fire that broke out at a factory in the Landhi Export Processing Zone (EPZ) intensified and spread to another nearby factory. All employees of the factory were safely evacuated.
The factory contained a large stock of second-hand clothing. Two fire tenders initially reached the scene. However, due to the intensity of the blaze, additional fire tenders and a snorkel were called in. Fire brigade personnel continued efforts to control the fire with 18 fire tenders and two snorkels.
During the rescue operation, part of the factory collapsed, while rescue officials declared the entire building unsafe.
Despite several hours of firefighting, the blaze could not be completely brought under control. Fire brigade officials said they had managed to prevent the fire from spreading further and had brought around 50 per cent of the fire under control.