Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab Siddiqui confirmed the deaths in a statement, stating that the bodies were found during a search operation in the multi-story commercial-cum-residential building located near the Ayesha Manzil area after firefighters extinguished the blaze, Xinhua reports.
Rescue official Hamayoon Khan told local media that the fire originated in a mattress and foam shop on the ground floor due to an electrical short circuit.
Police, rescue, and firefighting teams promptly responded to the incident, rescuing around 35 people residing in the six-story building’s apartments.
The fire significantly damaged the building, affecting a large section spanning up to the fourth floor and damaging nearby parked vehicles.
Caretaker Chief Minister of southern Sindh province Maqbool Baqar ordered an investigation into the incident, focusing on the lack of adequate fire fighting facilities in the area, which contributed to the fire’s spread.
RHM/PR
