• Explosion followed by fire, which engulfed three-storey building on M.A. Jinnah Road
• Officials say store was operating illegally in basement, its licence had expired
KARACHI: A man and a teenage boy were killed and 33 others were injured in a huge explosion that ripped through a firecracker warehouse and shop, operating in the basement of a three-storey commercial and residential building on M.A. Jinnah Road, near Taj Medical Complex on Thursday afternoon.
The blast was so powerful that it damaged pillars and walls of the building and cement blocks were hurled through the air, falling onto parked vehicles nearby. Windowpane of the nearby buildings and vehicles were also smashed.
Police Surgeon Summaiya Syed told Dawn that the police brought the body of 16-year-old Asad Wakeel, who was killed in the firecracker store. While one of the critically injured patients, Kashif, also died during treatment at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC).
The police surgeon said that the autopsy of Asad was held who had sustained burns. He had died due to inhalation of toxic gases produced from the explosive material.
The police surgeon said 20 other injured people were also brought to the JPMC, including two with critical wounds while 14 other men were taken to the Trauma Centre of the Civil Hospital Karachi with two in critical condition.
She said the condition of other wounded people was being evaluated. South DIG Syed Asad Raza told Dawn that the blast occurred at Al-Amna Plaza.
“The blast occurred in the fireworks stock of ‘Hanif Patakha’, which were stored in the warehouse where two ‘display centres’ were also located,” said the senior official.
He said “preliminary” reports suggested that the fire was triggered due to an “electric spark”.
He said approximately 20-25 individuals, including Hanif (the owner) were injured while some others had been rescued.
Fire brigade vehicles and personnel of the bomb disposal squad, and law enforcement agencies were present at the scene and took part in rescue and fire control efforts and investigations.
“A similar incident had occurred about two years ago on the same premises in the parking area due to the similar causes,” the DIG recalled.
Rescue-1122 spokesperson Hassaan Ul Haseeb Khan told Dawn that there was a ground-plus three-storey building named Al-Amna Plaza on M.A. Jinnah Road near Taj Complex where families lived on upper floors.
A warehouse named Super Fire Works was operating in its basement. He said raw material used for preparation of firecrackers was also stored there.
He said during the initial probe, it appeared that a short circuit triggered the fire and a huge explosion took place because of the presence of explosive material.
Mr Khan added that 12 fire tenders were sent for firefighting.
He said that because explosive materials were stored there, the fire kept reigniting due to the heat.
The firemen were facing difficulties as there were fumes and smoke in the basement. He said the fire was controlled up to 60-70 per cent and efforts were underway to it put out completely.
Licence ‘expired’
The DIG said as per relevant laws, the federal interior minister gives a licence for over 50kg firecrackers storage while for under 50kg storage, the provincial government gives licences.
Under explosive related laws, it is mandatory for relevant officials to carry out inspections of storage sites of fireworks and in case of any violations of the laws, the authorities can seize the material, and take action against violators.
He said the DC South had given a licence for keeping fireworks not exceeding 50kg, but the owner had allegedly stored more than 50kg of fireworks material.
He said the owner claimed that they had been working for ‘entertainment’ fireworks since 1958 with the name of Super Fire Work International. The official added that the licence given to the fireworks store by the DC South had already expired on December 31st, 2024.
‘Illegal’ fireworks store
Counter-Terrorism Department’s senior official Raja Umer Khattab, who visited the spot, told journalists that people call it firecracker material, but there was “explosive material”.
He said as per relevant laws, up to 50 kilograms of firecrackers material may be stored or kept in a shop with certain conditions and standard operating procedures.
Elaborating further, the counter-terrorism expert said that it was mandatory that the firecracker material shops/stores should be away from a petrol pump and residential areas.
He said firecrackers were imported and manufactured as well in Pakistan. In Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, only licensed-holders can manufacture or import firecrackers.
Mr Khattab claimed that there was no “industry or factory for manufacturing firecrackers” in Sindh.
He estimated that over 50kg of firecracker material might be stored in the basement and termed the presence of such a huge quantity in a residential area as highly dangerous.
“The people do not consider it hazard as they just call it entertainment fireworks,” lamented the CTD official, adding that this warehouse was ‘illegally’ established in the residential area.
Published in Dawn, August 22th, 2025