Fire Tears Through Karachi Furniture Market Near Kamran Chowrangi Today

Gulistan-e-Johar – (Staff Reporter/Web Desk) – A big fire broke out at a furniture market near Kamran Chowrangi in Gulistan-e-Johar, Karachi, on Friday. Firefighters brought it under control after a tough fight.

Officials said four fire tenders and a water bowser were used in the operation. Crews are now cooling the site so the flames do not start again.

The fire also reached a nearby home. Rescue 1122 said the blaze there was also put out. The chief fire officer confirmed that no one was hurt.

Chief Fire Officer Humayun Khan spoke to the media after the work ended. He said the fire was under control and that no lives were lost.

The cause of the fire is still not known. Officials have not yet shared how much money was lost.

What the Traders Say

Shopkeeper Asghar told the media that the market has 20 shops. He said the losses could reach crores of rupees.

He said the fire was reported to the Madadgar-15 helpline. But he claimed that firefighters took 15 to 20 minutes to reach the spot. By then, the flames had spread across the market.

Asghar also said the market had burned last year. He added that the shops were built on a commercial plot.

The same market was hit by a major fire on December 31, 2024. Geo News reported that more than 30 shops were burned. No one was hurt, and the cause was never found.

Fire Safety Under Question

Fire safety in Karachi has been in focus since the deadly Gul Plaza fire in January. Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah ordered a fire safety check of major buildings across the province.

He also approved yearly safety checks of commercial buildings, which had stopped years ago.

A Sindh Building Control Authority audit found that 90 percent of the surveyed buildings had no fire safety setup. The authority sent notices to over 300 owners. It warned that their buildings could be sealed.

In February, two big commercial buildings in Saddar were sealed for breaking fire safety rules.