Karachi Port Fire: Government Forms High-Level Inquiry Committee to Investigate Incident

The Ministry of Maritime Affairs has constituted an inquiry committee to investigate the cause of a fire at the Karachi International Container Terminal (KICT) that erupted on Friday at Karachi Port, officials confirmed.

The fire reportedly destroyed at least 20 containers, most of which were carrying imported lithium batteries, causing concern over port safety and hazardous cargo handling. The blaze spread rapidly due to tightly stacked containers at the terminal, which operates under the Karachi Port Trust (KPT).

According to an official statement, Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry ordered the formation of a probe committee to determine the reasons behind the incident and fix responsibility to avoid similar accidents in the future. Senior officers from KPT are part of the committee and will coordinate with KICT management during the investigation.

The minister stated that since KICT is a privately managed terminal, its administration is primarily responsible for maintaining safety standards. He also directed KPT Chairman Rear Admiral (retd) Shahid Ahmed and other officials to ensure swift firefighting efforts and submit a comprehensive report.

Firefighting teams from KPT, the Pakistan Navy, Karachi Shipyard and Engineering Works, and Rescue 1122 responded promptly. A total of 15 fire tenders were deployed, successfully containing the blaze without any reported loss of life.

Authorities said the financial damage and exact cause are still being assessed, though initial findings suggest a short circuit inside a container may have triggered the fire.

Original report by Chatzyr.net