Factory fire kills 15 in southern Pakistan

By Aamir Latif

KARACHI, Pakistan (AA) - At least 15 people were killed and several injured when a massive fire swept through a chemical factory in Pakistan’s southern port city of Karachi on Friday, an official said.

A portion of the factory, located in the eastern district of Karachi, also collapsed in the fire, leaving several workers, including two rescue personnel, injured.

Mobeen Ahmad, the city's chief fire officer, told reporters that some 15 bodies have been retrieved, whereas several people are still trapped under the rubble.

Footage aired on local broadcaster Geo News showed firefighters backed by fire tenders trying to extinguish the fire, and rescue workers transferring bodies – some of them badly charred – to the ambulances.

There was no immediate word on cause of the fire.

Pakistan has had a history of industrial accidents due to poor infrastructure and lack of safety standards. Many factories are operating in residential areas.