Karachi furniture market fire spreads to residential building

A major fire broke out at a furniture market near Kamran Chowrangi in the Gulistan-e-Johar area of Karachi on Friday. The blaze spread from the commercial market to an adjoining residential building, though officials confirmed that no casualties or loss of life occurred.

Firefighting efforts involved four fire tenders and a water bowser. Chief Fire Officer Humayun Khan stated that while the main blaze was brought under control, cooling operations were required to prevent reignition. The exact cause of the fire and the total financial impact remain undetermined.

A local shopkeeper reported that the market contains approximately 20 shops and estimated the financial losses to be worth crores of rupees. There were also claims that emergency responders took 15 to 20 minutes to arrive after the incident was reported to the police helpline.

This incident follows a previous major fire at the same location on December 31, 2024, which gutted more than 30 shops. The recurrence of such fires has led to increased scrutiny of fire safety protocols in Karachi's commercial buildings.