Blaze in Karachi garment factory fire controlled

Published July 22, 2014
Six fire brigades had been send to the fire-hit factory. — Photo by AFP
Six fire brigades had been send to the fire-hit factory. — Photo by AFP

KARACHI: A fire that swept into a garment factory Tuesday morning in Karachi's New Karachi industrial area was tended by fire fighters, DawnNews reported.

The process of cooling was under way after the six fire brigades sent to the factory managed to control the blaze.

No casualties were reported in the fire.

Karachi, Pakistan's largest city and commercial heart, has around 10,000 factories on seven industrial estates, according to the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI).

On top of that, there are at least 50,000 cottage and small industries in the informal sector based in residential areas.

According to analysts, security measures in most of the factories had always been compromised, as higher safety standards meant higher production costs.

In 2012, a deadly fire had erupted in Ali Enterprises, a garments factory, in Karachi's Baldia Town.

Baldia factory fire, considered as the country’s worst industrial incident, had killed more than 250 people and had injured many others.

The death of so many people had highlighted Pakistan's dismal approach to industrial safety and raised fears for the clothing sector vital to the nation's struggling economy.

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