Fire at Karachi's Zamzama departmental store brought under control

A fire that broke out at the Imtiaz private departmental store located on Zamzama Street in the Clifton area on Monday, triggering panic in the vicinity as fire brigade teams rushed to the scene, has been largely brought under control, according to fire brigade officials.

Chief Fire Officer Humayun Khan said that the fire brigade received the alarm at around 6am, following which vehicles were sent from the Saddar fire station. He said that it is confirmed that the fire originated in the basement and has since been extinguished, although isolated spots are being doused in the basement.

It is learnt from fire brigade officials that six fire tenders are presently busy controlling the fire. Dense smoke and darkness in the basement had also impeded rescue and firefighting activities.

The sources further added that doors are being cut open with cutters to access the basement, rescue anyone inside, and put out the fire. They say it may take them two hours to complete the rescue activities.

According to officials, there was no staff inside the building at the time of the incident, and firefighters are safely involved in the process. Preliminary information indicates that the fire could have begun from an ATM machine. Store staff had tried to contain the fire before the arrival of firefighters.

Khan claimed that the false ceiling was a contributory factor to the rapid spread of the fire, stating that false ceilings tend to increase the flames. He claimed that the thick smoke and the lack of proper ventilation also made the process difficult, as there was a buildup of smoke inside the premises.

Meanwhile, a suspect was apprehended outside the store near the basement area by the store’s security personnel, who are handing him over to the police for further investigation.