Chowrangi

Chaos and mayhem are not new to Karachi. Whether its suicide bombings in Waziristan, Massacre in Lal Masjid, tour of Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry or assassination of Benazir Bhutto, Karachi is always on the receiving end.

Since last month, fire incidents are happening around Karachi in rapid succession.

Jan 08:
Venue: Hashmi Plaza, Electronics Market, Saddar.
Reason: Short Circuit (Loose wiring and ‘Kunda’ system).
Loss: This was the fourth fire of its type in the plaza since last year. Although the shop owners claimed that eight shops were burnt and about 35 to 40 shops were partially damaged, officials of the fire brigade department, who attended the fire, put these figures as 12 and 20 to 30, respectively. Shop keepers estimate financial loss up to Rs. 600-700 million.

Jan 12:
Venue: Shop 33, Service Sultan Building, Block 6, PECHS
Reason Cited: Short Circuit
Loss: Minor (Not reported)

Jan 13:
Venue: Carpet Shop at Ground Floor, Erum Shopping Center, Buffer Zone.
Reason Cited: Drums of glue caught fire.
Loss: 4 shops gutted.

Venue: Ramswami, Ranchor Line area
Reason Cited: Not ascertained.
Loss: 15-16 factories of plastic grains and wooden material were completely gutted.

Venue: Niazi Colony near Muhammadi Masjid, Sector 1D, Orangi town
Reason Cited: Gas pipeline damaged in excavation work, caught fire.
Loss: Two masons injured.

Jan 23:
Venue: Berger Paint Factory, SITE
Reason Cited: Chemical containers mishandled.
Loss: Billions of rupees. Factory completely gutted after burning for 18 hours.

Jan 24:
Venue: Computer Hardware Shop, The Plaza near Do Talwar, Clifton
Reason Cited: Generator Malfunction
Loss: Not Reported.

Jan27:
Venue: Auto Workshop, Block C-3, Lines Area, Opposite Taj Medical Complex
Reason Cited: Short Circuit
Loss: Not Reported

Venue: Bilqis Edhi Home, Clifton
Reason Cited: Short Circuit
Loss: Rs. 15 million

Jan 28:
Venue: First Floor, Omer Building, Ranchor Line
Reason: Sparks from welding machine caught clothes of flat resident
Loss: Minor

Jan 31:
Venue: Makeshift Huts near Aziz Bhatti Park, Block-9 Gulshan-e-Iqbal
Reason Cited: Unknown.
Loss: 250 makeshift huts.

Feb 06:
Venue: Timber Market, Korangi No. 6
Reason Cited: Unknown.
Loss: Timber Warehouse, Furniture Factory, Several Shops, 2 vehicles. Financial loss approximated to Rs. 8 million by the furniture factory owner, warehouse owner claimed to have suffered a loss of millions of rupees.

Feb 07:
Venue: Nova Tex Chemicals, National Highway near Landhi Jail
Reason Cited: Unknown.
Loss: Chemical worth millions of rupees burnt.

Venue: International Textile Mills, near Bilal Chowrangi, Korangi Industrial Area
Reason Cited: Unknown.
Loss: Cloth and machinery worth millions of rupees gutted.

Venue: Towel Factory, Husaini Compound near Ghani Chowrangi, SITE
Reason Cited: Unknown.
Loss: Not Reported

It could be a conspiracy theory, but a layman can see these “random” fires targeting the industries in Karachi. Cases like fire at Bilqis Edhi Home at Clifton and Jhugies at Gulshan are to spread mass-panic.

While Karachities are gripped by terror, administration is dodging the ball, as usual.

Daily Times January 26, 2008: A three-member team constituted by the City District Government Karachi to produce an assessment report on the environmental damage caused by the fire erupted at Berger Paint factory (Jan 23). The report is to be submitted in one week. The team comprises of Chief Fireman Syed Ahtisham, CDGK representative Dr Farooq and Pakistan Army Wing Commander Jahangir.

Daily Times January 28, 2008: City Nazim Mustafa Kamal has directed the Chief Controller of Buildings Rauf Akhtar Farooqui to immediately set up a team of senior officers to carry out an early survey of all buildings and find out whether they have internal fire fighting system and fire extinguishers. He ordered action to be taken against owners of all buildings, commercial complexes, markets and factories that do not have an internal fire fighting system installed.

APP February 07, 2008: Caretaker Sindh Chief Minister Justice (Rtd) Abdul Qadir Halepota has ordered immediate setting up of a committee, headed by DCO Karachi. The committee will review the fire incidents in detail and prepare its report.

Daily Times February 08, 2007: Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad took notice of fire incidents and directed the formation of a ‘guideline committee’ headed by the NED University of Engineering and Technology Vice Chancellor to ascertain cause of the incidents and suggest precautionary guidelines.

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• Real Story behind Zardari's US visit - October 3rd, 2008
• Marriott Hotel Blast: A Malaysian Eyewitness recalls the Terror and Chaos - October 3rd, 2008
• Zardari parties while Pakistan plunges into Economic and Political Crisis - October 1st, 2008
• Asif Zardari and Sarah Palin: Where Mr Ten Percent meets the Pit Bull with Lip Stick - September 25th, 2008
• What it takes to be John McCain - September 25th, 2008
• Fire Safety and Disaster Management Competency at Marriott Hotel Islamabad - September 24th, 2008
• Bill Marriott on Marriott Hotel Islamabad Blast - September 24th, 2008
• Hotel Marriott Islamabad: Where Spies Met - September 23rd, 2008
• Nayyar Zaidi flown to Missouri for psychiatric evaluation? - September 22nd, 2008