Area closed off as Korangi's mysterious fire continues for sixth day

KARACHI: With no end in site, the district administration has closed off the plot in the city's Korangi Creek area where a mysterious fire continues to burn for the sixth consecutive day.

The district administration has said that KMC and Cantonment Board's fire tenders are on standby at the site despite the firefighting operation being stopped on Saturday due to heat intensity.

Meanwhile, sand and water samples have been obtained from the site and the nature and volume of the gas — that's fuelling the blaze — will only be ascertained after due chemical analysis.

If the gas reserves are small, the fire will be extinguished automatically in a few days. However, if the reserves are large, steps will be taken to secure the area and the fire, added the administration.

The blaze broke out on Saturday after a local construction company drilled 1,200 feet for a tube well, releasing methane gas under high pressure. Despite the presence of fire brigade personnel and police at the scene, the flames continue to burn, and efforts to extinguish them have proven ineffective.

Experts, including former Chief Fire Officer Kazim Ali, have warned against attempting to douse the blaze, suggesting that the blaze could burn itself out within a few days if left alone.

However, they caution that continued firefighting attempts could escalate the situation, spreading gas and increasing the risk to nearby residents. One of the expert has suggested marking a 90-metre restricted area and constructing a soil mound to block the flames as a measure to contain the fire.

The fire has become a focal point for public attention, while experts are closely monitoring the situation. Officials are also collecting water and gas samples to assess the underground deposits' scale and potential risks.

The Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) has confirmed that its installations are not near the affected area, while Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL) continues to monitor the fire’s impact on the gas supply.