Massive Fire Erupts at Plastic Factory in Karachi’s Landhi EPZ

KARACHI: A major fire broke out at a plastic factory in Karachi’s Landhi Export Processing Zone (EPZ) on Friday night, spreading to a second factory while a third nearby facility remained unaffected, officials said.

Rescue officials said the blaze started around 9:00pm in a factory covering an area of 4,000 square yards.

Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) Chief Fire Officer Humayun Khan said firefighting teams were tackling the fire from all sides and its intensity had slightly reduced.

The affected factories were storing used clothes, shoes and plastic materials. More than 20 fire tenders from KMC, the Navy and Rescue 1122, along with three KMC snorkels, were deployed at the site.

So far, 165,000 gallons of water have been supplied through local hydrants, while additional water tankers were dispatched to support the firefighting operation.

Khan confirmed that nobody was present inside the affected factory and no casualties have been reported so far.

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A spokesperson for Rescue 1122 said the fire erupted on the ground floor and quickly spread to the first floor of the building.

Karachi Commissioner said all relevant agencies were on high alert and assured that adequate water supplies were available.

Sindh Inspector General of Police Javed Alam Odho directed authorities to clear traffic from the surrounding area to facilitate firefighting and rescue teams.

The Landhi incident comes days after a fire at Saddar’s mobile market, which was quickly contained.

Last month, the largest fire in more than a decade erupted at Gul Plaza shopping mall on January 17, claiming at least 80 lives and destroying around 1,200 family-owned stores. Authorities said the tragedy highlighted the importance of preparedness and rapid response to prevent similar incidents.