Karachi: A massive fire destroyed at least 100 huts in Teen Hatti area along the Lyari Expressway, while a tanker carrying thousands of liters of oil caught fire at a fuel station in Sadar on Saturday.
However, no casualties were reported in both the incidents, police and fire officials said.
In the first incident, a large number of people, including women and children, living on the banks of the Lyari River were rendered homeless.
Chief Fire Officer Mubeen Ahmed said that they received information about the fire at around 8.15 am. Initially, three fire tenders were dispatched from the nearby Najimabad fire station. Later sensing the intensity of the fire, seven more fire tenders were sent, which could bring the fire under control.
He said that the huts were made of cloth or tents and all the huts were connected to each other by a piece of cloth. So, when one hut caught fire, it spread rapidly and engulfed 10-12 other huts, he said.
Another major accident averted due to fire in oil tanker at Sadar fuel station
The fire chief estimated that around 100 huts were destroyed.
He said that the residents of the area immediately left the place and also saved their children. They tried to save their utensils and other valuables.
He said that this is the second incident of fire at the same place as 150 huts were destroyed in the fire last year also.
fire in oil tanker at petrol pump
In the second incident that took place around 11.15 am, an oil tanker caught fire at a PSO petrol pump in front of the parking plaza near Sadar. Police and firefighters said that three employees of the petrol pump were scorched.
The Chief Fire Officer said that as they doused the huts at Teen Hatti on Saturday and fire tenders had just reached their stations, they received a call about a petrol pump on fire again.
He said several fire tenders, including a snorkel, were immediately flooded with water and brought from various fire stations in the metropolis to deal with any situation. “A fire in oil acts like a bomb and it is not easy to control,” he said, adding that he used foam as the fire was slipping and spread on the road and firefighters risked their lives to control it. was put in.
Brigade Police SHO Khaliq Rafiq said that the oil truck of the PSO, which was transporting oil at the petrol pump, caught fire.
While the SHO said the fire was caused by a short circuit in the driver’s cabin, the fire chief said it needed to be investigated.
The fire chief said the fire broke out in the tanker when it was transferring oil to an underground tank. He asked why the valve of the oil tank was not closed immediately.
There were fire extinguishers at the petrol pump, but they were not being used to put out the fire. And the workers ran away as soon as the fire started.
Violation of delivery rules
Further, the fire chief said that under relevant regulations and government policy, oil trucks were to deliver oil to fuel stations after midnight. He asked why the oil truck of PSO was delivering petrol during the day.
He termed it as ‘negligence’ on the part of the quarters concerned.
The SHO of the area said that the tank was full of oil and it is estimated that 21,000 liters of oil had been burnt.
Published in Dawn, November 21, 2021