KARACHI: A blaze engulfed Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab's office at the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) headquarters on M.A. Jinnah Road on Tuesday, severely damaging the office after the fire spread from an adjacent kitchen.
According to fire brigade officials, the fire broke out in the kitchen next to the mayor's office. Thick smoke filled the affected area as flames engulfed the office, causing extensive damage to the premises.
Three fire tenders were rushed to the KMC headquarters to contain the blaze. Firefighters battled the flames and eventually brought the fire under control, preventing the situation from causing further reported damage. No casualties were reported in the incident. Officials said the cause of the fire was not immediately known. They added that a detailed investigation would be needed to determine how the blaze started and what triggered it inside the KMC headquarters.
The KMC office fire occurred just one day after a major blaze erupted at a clothes factory in Karachi's Landhi Export Processing Zone (EPZ). The factory fire caused extensive damage to the building. Rescue officials later declared the affected structure dangerous following an assessment of the damage. Fire crews used multiple vehicles and rescue teams to contain the blaze. Fire brigade officials classified the incident as a third-degree fire because of its intensity. Authorities called for additional equipment as flames spread through the building. Seventeen Karachi Metropolitan Corporation fire tenders, two water tankers and a snorkel were participating in the emergency response.
