At least 17 killed in Karachi chemical factory blaze

Karachi: At least 17 labourers, including 5 belonging to one family, died after a chemical factory in Karachi's Korangi area caught fire Friday morning, Aaj News reported.

It could not be immediately ascertained what caused the fire. The city's Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center (JPMC) received 15 of the 17 bodies.

The fire erupted at around 10am Friday morning in the chemical factory located in Mehran Town in the Korangi Industrial Area.

As per details, there were more than 20 labourers trapped inside the factory as the rescue operation began. Families of the labourers also gathered outside the factory with Rangers personnel assisting the hindered relief efforts. Reports suggested later that the fire had been extinguished and cooling efforts were under way.

Rescue efforts hindered

Meanwhile, rescue officials faced difficulties due to smoke, while they tried to break the factory walls to retrieve the labourers inside. Reports also suggested fire rescue services reached the site after a delayed response time. However, the fire brigade teams faced difficulties in the rescue operation because of the narrow lanes leading to the factory. The police helped clear the area.

At least 9 fire trucks were at the site.

Meanwhile, through a tweet on the official page, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah directed the Karachi commissioner as well as the labour department to submit a report on the incident. "How did the incident occur and what safety precautions were being taken," he questioned.