KARACHI: A fire broke out at an oil refinery near Korangi Crossing in Karachi on Saturday, the fire brigade official said.
Police officials said the fire was reportedly caused due to the damage to a gas pipeline during underground water boring.
Fire brigade teams and emergency response units rushed to the scene to contain the blaze.
According to the police, the fire started in the gas pipeline, possibly after it was damaged during drilling.
Six fire brigade trucks arrived at the site on time and are actively engaged in firefighting efforts, while teams from the Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) have also arrived at the site to assess the damage and assist in controlling the gas leak.
Due to the severity of the fire, firefighters are using foam to contain the flames, according to firefighters.
Fire brigade officials confirmed that the blaze has third-degree intensity.
Talking to Geo News, Senior Fire Officer Muhammad Zafar said that the nature of the fire was perplexing, stressing that he was unable to understand as to which pipeline had been affected.
“The fire is mysterious. We still do not know which pipeline this is,” he said.
Zafar further said that attempts to douse the flames with water were proving ineffective. “We were spraying water on to the flames, but it kept bouncing back,” Zafar explained.
The fire officer further said that to control the conflagration, authorities have called in teams from the Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) to the site.
“The fire is bursting out from a crater that needs to be sealed with soil,” the fire officer suggested.
Given the scale of the fire, Zafar further recommended, “We may need to use a dumper truck or a helicopter to drop soil over the flames.”
No casualties have been reported so far.
Police and rescue teams are present, and an investigation is underway to determine further details.
