At least three workers were burnt to d
eath when a huge fire broke out in an industrial unit in Karachi’s Baldia Town, officials and witnesses s
aid on Wednesday. One of the vi
ctims reportedly died while trying to save other trapped workers. The factory management blamed delayed response of
the fire brigade for the deaths, while the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) fire chief and police believed ‘criminal negligence’ of
the factory owners was behind was the tragedy as the unit was constructed like a “prison” and without provision of emergency exits purportedly to prevent thefts. Workers at
the factory of Al-Makkah fabrics told reporters the blaze that erupted on the ground floor rapidly engulfed three other storeys of the building. One employe
e claimed
the fire occurred at 11:00pm on Tuesday and the owner informed
the fire brigade at 11:30pm but fire tenders reached the site at 1:00am on Wednesday. The factory owner, Imran, told media the loss of lives could have been prevented if
the fire tenders had reached on time. He admitted that the building was enclosed with high walls to prevent theft.
