By Staff Reporter
KARACHI: A powerful explosion ripped through a warehouse storing firecracker materials in a densely populated area in Karachi’s busy commercial center on Thursday, killing at least one person and injuring 34 others, police and hospital officials said.
The blast, which occurred in the basement of a three-storey residential building in the bustling Saddar district, triggered a fierce blaze that sent thick smoke billowing into the sky. The explosion caused extensive damage, collapsing pillars and walls, smashing windows in nearby buildings, and crushing parked vehicles under falling concrete blocks.
Police surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed said 20 injured individuals were rushed to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, two in critical condition, while 14 others were admitted to the trauma centre at Civil Hospital Karachi, with two also critically wounded. “The condition of other wounded persons is being evaluated,” she said. Later, authorities confirmed the recovery of a 16-year-old boy’s body from the warehouse’s lowest level, according to a statement from Rescue 1122.
Rescue-1122 spokesperson Hassaanul Haseeb Khan said the facility stored raw materials used for firecracker production. “During the initial probe, it was suspected that a short circuit triggered a fire in the store and a huge explosion took place because of the presence of highly inflammable material,” Khan said. The fire, which was 60-70 percent contained by late afternoon, repeatedly reignited due to the explosive materials, with dense smoke hampering firefighters’ efforts. “Twelve fire tenders from KMC’s Fire Brigade and Rescue-1122 were engaged in firefighting,” he said.
However, senior Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) official Raja Umer Khattab disputed the claim that the warehouse held only firecracker materials, asserting it contained explosive substances. “CTD had seized two tons of explosive material in this area in the recent past,” Khattab told reporters at the scene, noting that firecracker materials could also be used in bomb-making. He described the storage of such materials in a residential area as “a highly dangerous thing.”
Khattab said regulations permit storing up to 50 kilogrammes of firecracker material in shops, provided strict safety protocols are followed and the facility is located away from petrol pumps and residential zones. “This shop or godown was illegally established in a residential area, which caused substantial damage to human life and property,” he said, estimating that the warehouse likely held more than the legal limit.
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah ordered officials to extinguish the blaze and ensure no further loss of life. “There is no permission to produce materials near cities or populated areas which can cause damage,” he said in a statement, directing the Karachi commissioner to provide immediate medical aid to the injured and submit a detailed report.
Fires and explosions are a recurring hazard in Pakistan, where lax enforcement of safety regulations, faulty wiring, and inadequate infrastructure frequently lead to deadly incidents. Earlier this month, a massive blaze at a factory in the Karachi Export Processing Zone near Landhi injured eight people and damaged three adjacent factories. In June, a fire sparked by an electrical short circuit gutted hundreds of shops in Karachi’s Millennium Mall, causing significant financial losses.
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