Karachi [Pakistan], August 22 : The death toll from a massive fire and explosion at a warehouse in Karachi rose to four on Friday with 33 people also injured, rescue officials said, Dawn reported.
The incident took place in a densely populated area near the city's Taj Medical Complex on MA Jinnah Road.
Rescue 1122 confirmed that the number of fatalities from the incident had climbed to four, Dawn added.
Police surgeon Summaiya Syed told Dawn, "One of the victims had died from suffocation, while two others had also suffered 'multiple crush injuries'." She added that the fourth victim's autopsy had not yet been done.
Rescue 1122 spokesperson Hassaanul Haseeb Khan told Dawn that the warehouse was located in the basement of a three-storey commercial and residential building in Saddar.
"Raw material used for the preparation of firecrackers was stored [in this facility]," Khan said. "During the initial probe, it was suspected that a short circuit triggered a fire in the store, and a huge explosion took place because of the presence of highly inflammable material."
However, Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) senior official Raja Umer Khattab told reporters that the facility contained explosive material, not raw material for fireworks, Dawn reported.
"CTD had seized two tons of explosive material in this area in the recent past," he said, noting that the raw material in fireworks could also be used in bombs.
Khan added that the building's pillars and walls were damaged, while thick concrete blocks had fallen on parked vehicles nearby. Windows in surrounding buildings were also shattered, Dawn reported.
Fires frequently break out in buildings across Pakistan due to poor infrastructure, weak enforcement of safety regulations, and widespread negligence. Many structures lack proper fire exits, alarms, and emergency protocols, while faulty wiring and overloaded power systems increase the risk of electrical short circuits, according to Dawn.
Earlier this month, a massive blaze at a factory in the Karachi Export Processing Zone (KEPZ) near Landhi injured eight people and damaged at least three other factories. The fire was brought under control after hours of efforts, Dawn added.
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