• The fire fighting operation at the Chase Up departmental store is still underway.
• Blaze in the basement of the super store’s building has left scores of families living in the residential building displaced.
• Fire service has cautioned that the cooling procedure will take at least two days longer.

KARACHI: The fire fighting operation at the Chase Up departmental store is still underway despite intensive efforts that includes use of over 1.2 million gallons of water from last three days, Bol News reported on Sunday.

A massive fire that erupted in a superstore’s basement in a multi-story structure near Jail Chowrangi earlier this week is still not totally extinguished. The blaze that had broken out at the warehouse of the department store in the basement of the super store’s building has left scores of families living in the residential building displaced.

The fire department said on Thursday that the flames were under control and that just a few flaming patches needed to be extinguished, which would be done quickly. However, the claims proved to be wrong as the fire is still not totally doused, with flames erupting in several locations throughout the building.

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Meanwhile, the fire service has cautioned that the cooling procedure will take at least two days longer. As smoke and flames erupted from the basement, ground, and mezzanine floors of the building, as well as its parking lot, over a dozen fire tenders remained on the scene all day Friday, shooting water from various angles within the structure, destroying walls, and digging the sidewalk.

To put out the flames, they utilised foam and fire extinguisher balls. While the fire department reported that the fire’s intensity had been reduced, it also expressed concern that the situation could worsen if the fire spread to the first level.

Chief Fire Officer Mobin Ahmed said, “We have controlled the intensity of the fire and now the cooling process is underway, which may take at least two more days,”
“Flames are erupting and will continue to erupt until the affected area is cleared completely.”
Another issue for the government was the excessive consumption of water. According to Mobin Ahmed’s statement, the fire department has been using water to put out the fire for three days, the water level in the basement has risen to roughly five to six feet, making it impossible for firemen to work.

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The building’s foundation had already been damaged by the fire, according to the chief fire officer, and the presence of a large volume of water in the basement could further damage the structure. He stated that suction pumps were being utilised to extract water from the basement, which had inundated Kashmir Road and its environs.

While a case was recorded against the holders of the department store, the forces are yet to arrest any of the accused nominated in the FIR.

SSP Altaf Hussain confirmed Investigations and said that no arrest has been made so far. He added that the suspects were trying to obtain protective bail.

He said that the case was registered at the request of the Sindh Building Control Authority.
SSP Altaf Hussain said it was the prime responsibility of the SBCA to inspect the building and ensure the implementation of the laws officials of the SBCA and other relevant authorities will also be on the radar of the police during the investigations.

On Wednesday, at about 11:00 a.m., a fire broke out in the warehouse of a retail store in a multi-story structure near Jail Chowrangi. The store’s management attempted to put out the fire with the available fire extinguishers before calling the fire department. Within minutes, the smoke had engulfed the entire structure, causing residents to flee in fear. Many people who lived on the top stories were trapped and had to be rescued using ladders.

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