At least 34 people were injured in a powerful explosion at a fireworks storage facility in Karachi on Thursday, triggering a large fire and multiple secondary blasts in one of Pakistan’s busiest commercial areas. The blast occurred on Jinnah Road in the Saddar neighborhood, a densely populated part of the southern port city. Local authorities said the explosion originated from a warehouse used to store fireworks and pyrotechnic materials. The impact of the blast shattered nearby shopfronts, damaged parked vehicles and caused panic among residents and workers in the area.
Emergency services rushed to the scene, where thick plumes of smoke and flames engulfed the warehouse and adjacent structures. The Sindh health department confirmed that at least four of the injured were in critical condition. Victims were transported to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center and Civil Hospital Karachi for treatment. Most of the injured sustained burn wounds and lacerations from flying debris. Officials said the total number of casualties may rise as more information becomes available.
Authorities dispatched ten fire tenders and a snorkel unit to bring the fire under control. Firefighters worked for hours to contain the blaze, which also spread to surrounding businesses. Rescue teams continued operations late into the evening, while traffic in the area was diverted as a safety measure. Karachi’s Deputy Inspector General of Police, South Zone, Asad Raza, said the warehouse belonged to two brothers, both of whom were injured in the blast.
Fireworks-related accidents raise safety alarms in Pakistan
Preliminary statements have been recorded from one of them. Raza confirmed that an investigation is underway to determine the cause of the explosion and whether the facility was operating with the appropriate permissions. Sindh Home Minister Zia ul Hassan Lanjar ordered a detailed inquiry into the incident. He said the presence of fireworks storage in a commercial and residential zone raised serious concerns.
Lanjar instructed police to verify whether the owners had obtained a valid license and warned of legal action if any safety or licensing violations were uncovered. The explosion and subsequent fire damaged a number of adjacent commercial properties, forcing nearby shops to close and displacing workers. Witnesses described scenes of confusion as people fled the area amid loud bangs and thick smoke. Several nearby residents were also among the injured.
Similar past incidents highlight ongoing safety lapses
In a statement, Karachi’s mayor Murtaza Wahab said municipal authorities would assist in the investigation and support affected businesses. He called for stricter enforcement of safety regulations related to hazardous materials, particularly in urban zones with high population density. The incident comes amid broader concerns over safety standards in Pakistan’s fireworks and chemicals industry. In January, a similar explosion in Punjab’s Mandi Bahauddin district killed six people at an unlicensed fireworks facility.
Experts have repeatedly warned about the risks of improperly stored explosive materials in commercial and residential areas. As recovery efforts continued, authorities sealed off the affected warehouse and surrounding buildings for forensic examination. Local police and bomb disposal units were also deployed to ensure there were no unexploded materials remaining on site. No fatalities had been reported as of Thursday evening.
However, health officials said that several of the critically injured remain under intensive care. A final report on the incident is expected from police and civil defense officials in the coming days. The Karachi blast has renewed focus on urban safety enforcement, fire prevention infrastructure and the need for stricter monitoring of hazardous storage in Pakistan’s major cities. – By Content Syndication Services.