Following a recent fire incident in Karachi, a massive blaze broke out early morning in a private Alim Plaza located adjacent to Prince Road and Liaquat Bazaar, one of Quetta’s busiest commercial areas, reducing hundreds of shops, offices and warehouses to ashes. The fire, apparently caused by a short circuit, quickly spread throughout the building.
No loss of life was reported, however financial losses have crossed millions of rupees.According to QESCO officials, the fire erupted between 4:30 am and 5:00 am. Flames and thick black smoke rising from the building engulfed the surrounding area, creating panic among nearby residents and shopkeepers. Upon receiving the alert, the district administration, fire brigade, Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), Frontier Corps (FC), police, along with private water tankers, rushed to the scene and initiated rescue and firefighting operations.
The firefighting operation was personally supervised on-site by Deputy Commissioner Quetta Mehrullah Badini, DIG Quetta, and DG PDMA Muhammad Aurangzeb. Officials said the fire spread from the ground floor to the first floor, but after several hours of continuous efforts, it was brought fully under control.Speaking to the media, DC Quetta Mehrullah Badini stated that teams from PDMA, WASA and the Municipal Corporation reached the site immediately.
He pointed out that the absence of basic firefighting equipment within the market contributed to the scale of the damage. He confirmed that rescue teams managed to enter the plaza and no casualties were reported. He added that the final assessment of financial losses would be conducted after completion of relief and safety operations.
DG PDMA Muhammad Aurangzeb said that 10 fire brigade vehicles, around 20 fire bowsers and more than 70 personnel participated in extinguishing the blaze. He revealed that gas cylinders were also present inside the plaza, which further increased the risk during the operation. “We cannot put human lives at risk to save property,” he said, stressing that shops storing batteries and other sensitive equipment must be equipped with proper fire safety tools.President of Anjuman-e-Tajran, Rahim Agha, said the situation worsened due to the lack of trained firefighting staff.
He also warned that exposed QESCO electricity meters and open wiring installed outside buildings pose serious hazards and require immediate attention to prevent future incidents.The plaza housed shops dealing in computers, mobile phones, footwear, garments, as well as offices and storage units. All valuable goods were completely destroyed in the fire.
Affected traders said they had stocked merchandise worth millions of rupees in preparation for Eid, which was entirely consumed by the blaze, leaving them in deep financial distress.District administration officials confirmed that the fire has been completely extinguished, while further surveys will be conducted to ensure the building’s safety and assess the total financial losses.
