Four firefighters killed in Pakistan garment factory fire

Blaze ripped through factory in industrial area of Karachi

The collapsed garment factory in Karachi. AFP

Four firefighters died and others were injured after fire broke out in a garment factory in the southern Pakistan port city of Karachi, rescue officials and police said on Thursday.

The cause of the blaze, which ripped through the factory on Wednesday night and eventually caused it to collapse, was not immediately known, police said. Earlier, heavy grey smoke had risen suddenly from the factory. Firefighters had almost extinguished the blaze when the collapse occurred.

Rescuers have retrieved the bodies of the firefighters from the rubble of the factory.

Several firefighting vehicles were sent to the scene in an industrial area of the city, officials said. Officers were also assessing the impact of the fire at an adjacent building.

Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed his sorrow over the deaths of firefighters, describing them as “martyrs” who had died while trying to save the lives of others. In a statement, he conveyed his condolences to their families.

Mr Sharif also ordered authorities to prepare a strategy to avoid such incidents in future.

Karachi is the capital of southern Sindh province, where such incidents are common. In August 2021, at least 10 people were killed in a fire at a chemical factory in Karachi. In the most deadly incident, 260 died in 2012 after being trapped in a garment factory when fire broke out.