Karachi Fire at Furniture Market Near Kamran Chowrangi Brought Under Control
Karachi Firefighters bring the Gulistan-e-Johar furniture market blaze under control after flames spread to a nearby building.
Firefighters brought a blaze under control at a furniture market near Kamran Chowrangi in Gulistan-e-Johar on Friday. The fire also spread to an adjoining residential building, officials said.
Four fire tenders and a water bowser took part in the firefighting operation. Rescue 1122 said firefighters controlled the blaze at both locations.
Chief Fire Officer Humayun Khan confirmed that the main fire was under control. He said teams had started cooling operations to prevent the flames from reigniting.
Khan also confirmed that the incident caused no loss of life. Officials have yet to establish the cause of the fire or assess the financial damage.
Shopkeeper Claims Losses Worth Crores
A shopkeeper, Asghar, said the market had around 20 shops. He claimed the fire caused losses worth crores of rupees.
He said someone reported the fire through the Karachi Police Madadgar-15 helpline. However, he claimed firefighters arrived around 15 to 20 minutes after the call.
According to Asghar, the flames had spread through the market before the firefighting teams reached the scene.
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He also said the same market had caught fire last year. He added that traders had established their shops on a commercial plot.
Furniture Market Faced Major Fire in 2024
The market also suffered a major fire on December 31, 2024.
more than 30 shops were gutted in that incident. Officials had not determined the cause of the fire at the time.
No casualties were reported in the 2024 incident.
Karachi Fire Safety Measures Face Renewed Scrutiny
Fire safety in Karachi’s commercial buildings has come under increased scrutiny following the deadly Gul Plaza fire in January 2026.
After that incident, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah ordered a province-wide fire safety audit. The review covered major government, private and commercial buildings.
The chief minister also approved the resumption of annual safety inspections for commercial buildings. Authorities had discontinued these inspections several years earlier.
An audit by the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) found that 90 per cent of surveyed buildings in Karachi’s eastern, central and southern districts lacked fire safety arrangements.
The authority issued notices to more than 300 building owners. It warned that officials could seal buildings that failed to install the required safety equipment.
In February 2026, the district administration sealed two major commercial buildings in Saddar for violating fire safety regulations.
The latest incident has again raised concerns about fire prevention and emergency response in Karachi’s commercial areas. Authorities have yet to release the final assessment of the damage or determine what caused Friday’s fire.
