KARACHI – A massive fire broke out early Wednesday morning at Millennium Mall on Rashid Minhas Road, causing extensive destruction across multiple floors and resulting in significant financial losses.
According to rescue officials, the blaze started around 4:06 AM, originating from a control room on the third floor. Flames quickly spread throughout the building, severely damaging shops and infrastructure. Though the cause is suspected to be an electrical short circuit, further investigations are underway.
The fire severely affected the third floor, where nearly all shops were destroyed. Flames also spread to the second and first floors, although damage there was less intense. In total, estimates suggest that between 250 and 500 shops were impacted, with millions of rupees in losses reported by vendors and business owners.
The firefighting operation involved more than a dozen fire tenders, two snorkels, and multiple ambulances. Crews battled the blaze for over four hours, facing challenges due to limited water supply, heavy smoke, and the building’s inadequate fire safety measures.
Rescue teams also evacuated residents from an adjacent residential building as a precautionary measure. Fortunately, no injuries or casualties were reported.
The cooling process continued for several hours after the fire was brought under control, as firefighters checked each shop to ensure all flames were extinguished. Officials confirmed that two floors were completely destroyed while the ground floor sustained partial damage.
This incident has reignited concerns about fire safety compliance in Karachi’s commercial buildings, many of which reportedly lack basic firefighting systems and emergency exits.