A fire broke out early Thursday morning at a five-storey factory in the Landhi Export Processing Zone (KEPZ), causing the building to collapse and injuring eight people. The factory, which dealt in second-hand clothes, was completely destroyed, though there were no fatalities.
The fire reportedly started in the basement and quickly spread throughout the building, reaching two adjacent factories. Firefighting teams from various departments, including KMC, Rescue 1122, and the Export Processing Zone, responded to the scene with nine fire tenders. However, due to the presence of flammable materials such as used clothing and wooden structures, the fire was intense, and explosions hindered the firefighters’ efforts to enter the building. They fought the blaze from outside for over three hours before the factory collapsed.
Many workers, including women, were inside the building when the fire broke out. In the chaos, several tried to escape using makeshift tools or construction lifts, resulting in injuries among some of the female workers.
The chairman of the Export Processing Zone, AD Khawaja, confirmed that the factory had been in operation since 1980 and had no passageways between adjacent buildings, making it difficult for fire trucks to access the area. While it’s too early to assign blame, he mentioned that a new fire safety mechanism would be introduced in the zone to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Despite the extensive damage to the 4,000-square-yard factory, timely intervention prevented major damage to four nearby factories.
