Rawalpindi [Pakistan], February 10 : A massive fire erupted at a factory in the Rawat Industrial Area near Rawalpindi, which was brought under control after hours of firefighting, with cooling operations are still underway, rescue officials said on Tuesday, as reported by GeoTV.
According to GeoTV, citing the rescue authorities, it said that the fire broke out at an industrial unit in Rawat. Upto 19 fire tenders were deployed to contain the blaze. Additional vehicles from the fire brigade were called in to support the operation as the firefighting continued for more than 16 hours, with emergency crews using water mixed with foam to suppress the blaze.
Large quantities of chemicals and other flammable materials inside the factory had made the operation particularly challenging for firefighters, GeoTV said.
Authorities have warned that the prolonged raging blaze has weakened the structure of the premises, thereby raising fears that parts of it could collapse at any time.
According to the officials, while the cause of the fire is yet to be determined, no immediate reports of casualties were received, and cooling activities are ongoing to prevent any re-ignition. They said that an investigation would be launched once the situation is fully under control, GeoTV further mentioned.
The Rawat fire incident comes amid growing concern about fire safety in Pakistan's major cities.
Recently, the deadly Gul Plaza Fire in Karach,i which erupted on the night of January 17, took nearly two days to be fully extinguished and left the ground-plus-three-storey building in ruins, with several sections collapsing, according to Dawn.
Four prosecution witnesses, including a teenage boy, recorded their statements before a judicial magistrate, stating that the deadly fire at Gul Plaza Shopping Mall originated from an artificial flower shop located on the ground floor, Dawn reported.