A fire erupted in the sheds of Karachi’s New Sabzi Mandi area on Tuesday, engulfing several shops and sparking fears of heavy financial losses as dozens of businesses were affected by the blaze.
Fire brigade and rescue officials reached the scene immediately and currently the firefighting operation is underway. Videos of the incident circulating on social media show thick black clouds of smoke rising into the sky.
Deputy Mayor Karachi Salman Abdullah Murad took immediate notice of the fire at New Sabzi Mandi and issued urgent directives to bring the situation under control, while personally monitoring efforts to secure the affected area. Alongside the fire brigade, Rescue 1122 teams reached the scene and intensified firefighting operations.
Following Murad’s instructions to expedite the response, measures were taken to secure the impacted section of the vegetable market. City administration officials said that the fire has been brought under control and poses no further threat. Fire brigade officials and Rescue 1122 teams remain in close coordination to ensure continued safety in the area.
سبزی منڈی میں شیڈز میں آگ لگ گئی –#Karachi #Pakistan pic.twitter.com/vtvbfUNEM5
— Yusra Askari (@YusraSAskari) January 20, 2026
It is worth recalling that earlier, dozens of shops were reduced to ashes due to a fire in a private plaza in Quetta. The fire that broke out in a private plaza located on Burns Road had also engulfed an electricity transformer.
The fire at a private plaza on Prince Road in Quetta has been brought under control and cooling operations are underway; dozens of shops were burned in the blaze. Rescue officials said that six fire brigade vehicles and four PDMA vehicles took part in the firefighting operation.
Earlier, on Saturday night, a fire at Gul Plaza in Karachi resulted in multiple deaths, while more than 80 people went missing. Due to the fire, more than 1,200 shops in the building were reduced to ashes. Several deaths occurred due to panic and suffocation caused by smoke.
