Blaze damages New Sindh Secretariat building

KARACHI: A massive blaze engulfed the whole of the seven-storeyed New Sindh Secretariat building, housing offices of several Sindh ministries and top provincial bureaucrats.

The blaze was so intense that thick black smoke billowing from the building could be seen from a distance. The fire started on Saturday evening from the first floor and soon spread to the whole building, prompting the KMC Fire Brigade to rush several fire tenders and snorkel to extinguish the blaze.

According to the Fire Brigade Control Room, the fire started at 5:50pm. The top floors of the New Sindh Secretariat received the brunt of the massive fire.

According to SP Saddar Tauqeer Muhammad Naeem, the fourth, fifth sixth and seventh floors were affected more as compared to the lower first, second and third floors of the secretariat building. Being Saturday, most of the staff was away on weekly holiday.

The second floor houses the offices of the Secretary General Administration, the 3rd floor houses the offices of the Secretary Works and Services , while on the 4th floor the offices of the secretary food department are located. The fire fighters were busy in the cooling operation, till the filing of these lines and it was difficult to assess the damage. Quashing reports of damage to sensitive record in the Sindh Secretariat, SP Tauqeer said the cause of fire and the losses would only be ascertained once the fire fighting operation is concluded.