Fire engulfs apartments, shops near Ayesha Manzil in Karachi

KARACHI: In a recent incident, a six-story apartment building near Karachi’s bustling Ayesha Manzil area caught fire on Wednesday, resulting in at least two injuries.

The fire originated in a shop due to a short circuit and quickly spread to other shops in the furniture market beneath the building.

The fire rapidly engulfed the entire structure, comprising 250 shops and 450 apartments, causing panic among residents.

Swift action from the Fire Department led to the complete evacuation of the building within two hours. During the rescue operation, a man with severe burns was rescued, and Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab confirmed two injuries.

The affected building, with two commercial floors and four residential floors, posed the risk of collapse, as expressed by Rescue 1122, which successfully evacuated over 300 people.

Despite partial containment of the fire, a search operation continues at the site. This incident follows another major fire less than two weeks ago, where a shopping mall on Rashid Minhas Road claimed 11 lives.

The rash of recent fires has drawn attention to the oversight of fire safety measures in Karachi’s numerous apartment complexes, home to nearly 20 million residents.

After the Rashid Minhas Road fire, authorities initiated a fire safety audit across several buildings in Karachi. However, the Ayesha Manzil fire erupted before the audit’s completion.

While there are no reports of major injuries in this incident, it is noted that people evacuated on their own, with limited assistance from rescue personnel.

The situation underscores the urgent need for improved fire safety measures in the city’s residential and commercial structures.

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