KARACHI: A large fire that ripped through the Aamir Electronics Market in Karachi’s Saddar area this week and destroyed more than 40 shops and several warehouses has caused financial losses estimated at over Rs1 billion ($3.6 million), according to the president of a local association.
The blaze broke out unexpectedly on Monday afternoon and quickly engulfed large parts of the electronics hub, reducing inventories of batteries, solar panels, and other high-value goods to ashes. Traders said they were unable to save most of their merchandise as the fire spread rapidly.
“The government should immediately compensate the affected shopkeepers and work with the association to help them restart their businesses,” said MinHajj Gulfaam, President of the Karachi Mobile and Electronics Dealers Association (KMEDA).
“We also demand that trade associations be equipped with their own firefighting systems, just like some industrial associations. Preventive measures are urgently needed.”
Initial reports suggest an electrical short circuit may have caused the fire, though some eyewitnesses claimed it started in an adjacent empty plot where garbage was being burned and later spread to the market. Authorities have not issued an official cause.
