Fire erupts at oil facility near major Pakistan truck terminal

Firefighters battled a blaze at an oil storage facility near one of Pakistan's busiest truck terminals Monday, deploying six fire engines and private water tankers to contain flames that threatened the vital Mauripur transport corridor in the country's largest city.

The fire at the warehouse near Mauripur Truck Terminal prompted response from Rescue 1122, Pakistan's nationwide emergency service, which dispatched fire and rescue teams along with ambulances to the scene. No casualties have been reported, according to fire brigade officials.

"Six fire tenders of the fire brigade are busy extinguishing the fire," fire brigade officials said Monday. "If the fire intensity increases, more fire brigade vehicles will be called."

Mauripur serves as a critical logistics hub for Karachi, a port city of over 15 million people that handles a majority of Pakistan's international trade. The truck terminal facilitates the movement of goods throughout the country.

Fire brigade officials said they are supplementing municipal water supplies with private tankers to ensure adequate resources for the operation. Oil fires present particular challenges for emergency responders, often requiring specialized foam rather than water alone to effectively suppress flames.

Landhi fire contained

The incident comes as Karachi's emergency services reported progress in containing a separate massive factory fire in the city's Landhi Export Processing Zone.

Fire officials said Monday that the Landhi blaze, which burned for more than 30 hours and injured five firefighters, has been extinguished and entered the "cooling phase".

A 2024 audit by the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation found that 97% of the city's high rise commercial buildings lacked proper fire safety certifications.

Sindh provincial authorities have not yet determined the cause of the warehouse fire. Officials urged residents to avoid the Mauripur area while firefighting operations continue.

The incidents occurred during Pakistan's Eid al-Adha holiday.