Fire destroys 35 shops at furniture market in Karachi

Two fire engines and a Rescue 1122 team, accompanied by a fire truck and an ambulance, reached the site shortly after receiving the alert and launched firefighting operations. The Fire Brigade spokesperson said the department received the alert at 1:35am and its vehicles reached the site within 10 minutes.

However, dry weather and strong winds caused the fire to spread rapidly within minutes. Massive fire engulfs furniture market in Karachi’s Gulistan-e-Johar. major fire erupted overnight at a furniture market near Kamran Chowrangi in Gulistan-e-Johar, Karachi, causing heavy financial losses to local shopkeepers.

Flames quickly spread across multiple shops and…pic.twitter.com/rqPNVUb0hp— The Express Tribune (@etribune)October 30, 2026According to the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation spokesperson, an emergency was declared at the Safoora hydrant to ensure a continuous supply of water following a request by Chief Fire Officer (CFO) Humayun Khan.

Police and Rangers personnel also arrived at the scene, while a K-Electric team disconnected the area's power supply as a precautionary measure. A large number of onlookers gathered on surrounding roads to watch the operation, causing severe traffic congestion.

As the fire intensified, three additional fire engines and a water bowser were dispatched to the site. The Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) Fire Brigade deployed four fire engines and a water bowser, while three additional fire tenders from other departments, including Rescue 1122, also took part in the operation.

Firefighters brought the blaze under control after approximately one-and-a-half hours of effort, while cooling operations continued until around 5am. Affected shopkeepers said the market had been operating for around 50 years and that valuable furniture and other goods worth millions of rupees had been reduced to ashes.

They added that the same market had also witnessed a fire last year. Appealing to the Sindh government for financial assistance, the traders said the affected shopkeepers had lost their livelihoods within a few hours and needed support to rebuild their businesses and get back on their feet.

CFO Khan said fire incidents tended to increase during dry weather. He said the blaze had erupted at furniture shops established on an open plot and that negligence on the part of people living in the nearby shanties could have caused it, possibly after a spark landed on the furniture.

He added that the extent of the financial losses had yet to be assessed and that an investigation was underway to determine the cause of the fire.