KARACHI: A minimum of 20 containers, largely containing electrical batteries, have been destroyed as an enormous hearth erupted on the Karachi Port Belief (KPT) on Friday afternoon, however no casualties have been reported as employees have been away for Friday prayer, in accordance with officers and rescue companies officers.
South-DIG, Syed Asad Raza advised Daybreak that the police “instantly responded to the fireplace that broke out in a container at Karachi Worldwide Container Terminal (KICT), West Wharf, throughout the limits of Docks police”, whereas rescue and hearth groups additionally reached there for hearth extinguishing efforts.
Rescue 1122 Spokesperson, Hassaan Ul Haseeb Khan, stated that the central command and management room “acquired info of the outbreak of fireside in a container at West Wharf, gate-20 at round 1:45pm”.
“One other container caught the fireplace by the point the group reached the spot,” he stated Daybreakincluding, “The groups then known as for back-up rescue groups.”
“The container carrying electrical, dry chemical and lithium batteries spontaneously triggered the fireplace, which unfold and engulfed 19 different containers carrying batteries, garments and different items,” the Rescue 1122 spokesperson stated, including all 20 containers have been utterly destroyed, inflicting huge monetary losses.
He famous that his groups confronted difficulties in placing out the fireplace because it didn’t require water to extinguish it, however a specialised powder to regulate it.
Khan additional stated, “The Karachi Water and Sewerage Company had supplied water tankers, whereas 20 hearth tenders of the rescue service, hearth brigade of Karachi Metropolitan Company (KMC), KPT and Pakistan Navy managed to regulate the fireplace by 4:50 pm.”
Relating to the attainable reason behind the fireplace, Khan stated, “That is an rising problem for firefighters within the metropolis as such batteries being utilized in electrical autos spontaneously set off hearth attributable to sure temperature and rising as a brand new well being hazard.”
He recalled that final 12 months, a luxurious digital car parked at a showroom in Protection Housing Authority had triggered a hearth due to its battery, ensuing within the demise of two ladies and accidents to a number of others.
Khan suspected the identical factor may need occurred in at present’s incident on the KPT, because the container which caught hearth was carrying an analogous sort of batteries.
Khan stated their rescue groups have been collaborating with rescue groups in Punjab and Islamabad to cope with the brand new problem of spontaneous hearth that’s rising because of the batteries being utilized in electrical autos.
Nevertheless, Raza stated Daybreak that throughout the preliminary probe, it transpired that the fireplace broke out attributable to a brief circuit within the container full of garments, which unfold and engulfed different containers. “The hearth was utterly managed by 4:30pm, nevertheless, cooling work continued.”
He stated to this point, no damage was reported, whereas additional details about the incident and monetary losses was being obtained.
In keeping with a KPT supply, the fireplace broke out in a container on the KICT, Karachi Port West Wharf, and unfold shortly to the close by containers.
He stated an instantaneous and well-coordinated emergency response was carried out, led by the KPT Fireplace Brigade Service. A complete of eight hearth tenders from KPT, supported by 4 from the Pakistan Navy, one from Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Works, and two from KMC, have been deployed on the location.
“Via swift motion, efficient coordination, {and professional} dealing with by all responding groups, the fireplace was efficiently introduced underneath management, stopping its unfold and guaranteeing the protection of port infrastructure and operations,” the supply stated.
He acknowledged and appreciated the well timed assist, professionalism, and teamwork of all taking part companies in safeguarding the Karachi port.
In 2020, two folks have been burned to demise, and three others have been injured when an enormous hearth broke out at an oil terminal in Keamari.
