Five firefighters hurt as efforts underway to douse Karachi factory inferno

• Firefighters declare it "third degree" blaze.
• Rescue 1122 officials says blaze engulfs four factories.
• Officials term affected buildings "unsafe".
  

KARACHI: At least five firefighters were injured while trying to extinguish a raging fire at a factory in the Landhi Industrial Area on Sunday.

The fire broke out in the factory located in Landhi Export Processing Zone in the early hours of the day, which spread rapidly and engulfed three other nearby factories due to presence of combustible material there, according to Rescue 1122 officials.

The firefighters sustained injuries after a portion of the affected building collapsed, the officials said, adding that it had been declared a "third degree" fire.

The rescue officials said that the injured Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) firemen were immediately shifted to the hospital. One of the injured was in critical condition, the officials added.

They added that there was a stock of clothes, chemical and other items in the factory, adding that the cause of the blaze was not yet determined.

A total of 14 fire tenders, two snorkels and a bowser were present at the scene to take part in rescue activities.

The emergency service department said that it received information of the blaze at 4:50am.

The affected buildings from the blaze were declared unsafe.

The service's chief operating officer told the media that they were facing difficulties in rescue operation due to dense smoke and a shortage of water.

Last month, a garments factory near Murtaza Chowrangi in Landhi caught fire which destroyed inventory worth millions of rupees.

The blaze erupted suddenly in a multi-storey factory, and the flames quickly intensified, prompting an immediate response from the police and rescue teams.

Firefighters used smoke injectors to ventilate the building and remove toxic fumes. After nearly three hours of continuous efforts, the fire was brought under control.