KARACHI; A powerful explosion tore through a three-storey building on M.A. Jinnah Road Thursday evening, leaving more than 30 people injured and sparking a massive blaze. Police said the building, which housed a fireworks warehouse, partially collapsed after the blast, sending shockwaves through the busy commercial area.
Eyewitnesses reported several secondary blasts as fireworks continued to ignite inside the wreckage, making it difficult for rescue workers to advance. Fire tenders rushed to the site but are facing serious challenges due to heavy traffic congestion around M.A. Jinnah Road, which is hampering firefighting and clearance operations.
At least 30 people were injured after a blaze erupted in a Karachi fireworks warehouse on Thursday, Rescue 1122 officials said.
The fire was reported to be in a storage warehouse near Taj Complex on MA Jinnah Road, a Rescue 1122 spokesperson said.
The spokesperson said that efforts were underway to control the fire, adding that as soon as Rescue 1122’s Central Command and Control team received the information, the Fire and Rescue team reached the scene along with an ambulance and two fire brigade trucks.
“Sixteen injured at Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre [with] two critical. Fourteen at Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Trauma Centre,” police surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed said, adding that the warehouse had been storing firecrackers.
Rescue officials confirmed that the injured, including burn victims and those in critical condition, were shifted to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital. SSP West Tariq Mastoi said the building was originally a ground-plus-one structure, but additional rooms had been constructed illegally.
Authorities have cordoned off the area, while emergency teams, heavy machinery, and fire brigades remain engaged in efforts to control the blaze and search for people feared trapped under the debris.
The incident has raised major safety concerns as fireworks continue to explode intermittently from within the rubble, putting both rescuers and bystanders at risk.
