About 20 containers were damaged!A major fire breaks out at the port, loading and unloading operatio
- Author:weiyun.com
- Source:weiyun.com
- Release Date:2026-01-22
On the afternoon of January 16, a huge fire broke out at the Karachi International Container Terminal (KICT), resulting in the burning of imported goods stored in at least 20 containers.
Sources said the fire broke out in a pile of containers at the West Terminal within the jurisdiction of the Terminal Police Station
Firefighting operations began immediately after the fire broke out.Initially, 13 fire engines were deployed for fire control, and as the fire intensified, the number of fire engines was increased to 20.
In addition, the rescue spokesman said that difficulties were encountered in controlling the fire.Due to the uncertainty of the goods, a special powder is required for fire extinguishing operations.
He added that the central command and control center was initially notified that a container was on fire, but when they arrived at the scene, they found that more containers were also on fire, so they urgently called the backup rescue team.
Fortunately, since the incident occurred during church hours on Friday, most of the workers had already left, and there were no casualties.
With the rapid action, effective coordination and professional handling of all response teams, the fire was successfully controlled three hours after the fire was received. While preventing the spread of the fire, it also ensured the safety of the port infrastructure and operations.
Meanwhile, cooling operations continued for several hours to prevent re-ignition.
Regarding the possible cause of the fire, Southern Deputy Inspector General of Police Raza said that preliminary investigation showed that the fire may have been caused by a short circuit inside the container.
The containers were loaded with electronic products, chemicals, textiles and lithium batteries, which exacerbated the fire.
Karachi Municipal Corporation Fire Chief Humayun Khan said that containers carrying all types of goods were affected, and imported goods stored in at least 20 containers were destroyed, mainly lithium batteries.
However, the exact cause of the fire and the extent of economic losses have yet to be determined and the investigation is still ongoing.
As a precautionary measure, the port authorities suspended loading and unloading operations of two ships, which had a certain impact on port operations.
Officials said activities in other areas of the port continued on a limited basis and all staff had been safely evacuated.
Sources said the fire broke out in a pile of containers at the West Terminal within the jurisdiction of the Terminal Police Station
Firefighting operations began immediately after the fire broke out.Initially, 13 fire engines were deployed for fire control, and as the fire intensified, the number of fire engines was increased to 20.
In addition, the rescue spokesman said that difficulties were encountered in controlling the fire.Due to the uncertainty of the goods, a special powder is required for fire extinguishing operations.
He added that the central command and control center was initially notified that a container was on fire, but when they arrived at the scene, they found that more containers were also on fire, so they urgently called the backup rescue team.
Fortunately, since the incident occurred during church hours on Friday, most of the workers had already left, and there were no casualties.
With the rapid action, effective coordination and professional handling of all response teams, the fire was successfully controlled three hours after the fire was received. While preventing the spread of the fire, it also ensured the safety of the port infrastructure and operations.
Meanwhile, cooling operations continued for several hours to prevent re-ignition.
Regarding the possible cause of the fire, Southern Deputy Inspector General of Police Raza said that preliminary investigation showed that the fire may have been caused by a short circuit inside the container.
The containers were loaded with electronic products, chemicals, textiles and lithium batteries, which exacerbated the fire.
Karachi Municipal Corporation Fire Chief Humayun Khan said that containers carrying all types of goods were affected, and imported goods stored in at least 20 containers were destroyed, mainly lithium batteries.
However, the exact cause of the fire and the extent of economic losses have yet to be determined and the investigation is still ongoing.
As a precautionary measure, the port authorities suspended loading and unloading operations of two ships, which had a certain impact on port operations.
Officials said activities in other areas of the port continued on a limited basis and all staff had been safely evacuated.