KARACHI: Tributes will be paid in a befitting manner during the programme to be held on May 4 to mark the World Firefighters Day to the four firefighters who lost their lives while trying to put out a fire at a factory, said Administrator of Karachi Dr Syed Saif-ur-Rahman on Thursday.
He said the firefighters who died in the New Karachi Industrial Area due to the collapse of a factory building were heroes. The four firefighters sacrificed their lives while performing their duties.
“In this hour of sorrow, we are with the families of the martyrs. All possible measures are being taken for the speedy recovery of the 13 firefighters who were injured in the incident,” he said.
He expressed heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased and said the KMC would fully cooperate with them.
Dr Saif-ur-Rahman was talking to journalists after attending the funeral prayers of three firefighters — Khalid Shahzad, Mohsin Sharif and Afzal — in Shah Faisal Colony. The body of the fourth firefighter, Sohail, was sent to Hyderabad for burial.
Municipal Commissioner Syed Shujaat Hussain, Chief Fire Officer Ishtiaq Ahmed, Karachi Fire Station officers, departmental heads of KMC, firefighters and political and social personalities attended the funeral prayers. The remains of the deceased were later buried in Azeempura Cemetery.
The tragic incident took place at a cardboard factory in the industrial area. As soon as information about the fire was received, the vehicles of the KMC Fire Brigade reached the place along with staff and took timely action to evacuate all the people from the factory. Ten fire tenders and other vehicles took part in the operation.
Dr Saif-ur-Rahman visited the affected site and personally supervised the fire extinguishing process at the factory. He instructed the Chief Fire Officer that fire brigade personnel should remain at the spot until the fire was completely extinguished and the cooling process was completed.
In view of the possibility of the fire spreading to nearby factories, the fire brigade had imposed an emergency in the department and more vehicles and personnel were ordered to be ready. The fire was brought under control; however the factory building collapsed and many firefighters were killed or injured in the incident.
Out of the 13 personnel injured in the incident, six — Muhammad Abbas, Amanullah, Rehan Siddiqui, Arif, Muhammad Nadeem and Nadeem — were given first aid at the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital while seven others — Arif, Muhammad Shoaib, Riaz, Ijaz, Rahim, Shoaib and Muhammad Arif — were treated at the Jinnah hospital.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023