University departments safe; makeshift shelters near fire site evacuated as precaution, officials say
University of Karachi. Photo: File
A fire that broke out in the bushes behind the University of Karachi on Tuesday evening intensified rapidly before being brought under control after several hours of firefighting. One person died from suffocation during the incident, rescue officials said. The victim, identified as 51-year-old Muhammad Rafiq, was a father of four and worked as a welder, according to initial reports.
According to Rescue 1122, the fire erupted near Gulshan Noor Apartments behind the university. Fire and rescue teams, along with ambulances and fire tenders, reached the site and began efforts to extinguish the blaze. Dry weather and strong winds caused the flames to spread quickly across the open area, while smoke entered nearby residential buildings, creating difficulties for residents.
Some staff quarters sustained partial damage, and the fire also affected areas near a nearby graveyard. The Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) Fire Brigade dispatched additional vehicles, including nine fire tenders and three water bowsers, to control the fire from multiple directions. Cooling operations continued late into the night to prevent reignition due to winds.
During a search operation after the fire was contained, rescue workers recovered the body of a 51-year-old man, identified as Muhammad Rafiq, who had died of suffocation. His body was shifted to a hospital with the help of Chhipa volunteers for necessary legal procedures.
Rescue officials said Rafiq was living in a makeshift shelter located outside the boundary wall of the University of Karachi. He is believed to have died from suffocation during the fire that broke out in the bushes behind the university. Police confirmed that an investigation is underway to determine the exact circumstances of his death and to verify whether the shelter was within the affected area of the blaze.
A security adviser at the University of Karachi said that all departments remained safe. Fire officials confirmed that several makeshift shelters near the affected bushes were evacuated as a precaution.
In a separate incident, a fire broke out at a scrap yard near Bhai Jan Chowk in Korangi’s Sector 33-C. Rescue 1122 teams reached the site and managed to control the blaze after a sustained effort. Various types of stored materials were destroyed, while the cause of the fire and the estimated losses have yet to be determined.
