A large fire erupted at the Karachi Port on Friday, sweeping through stacked shipping containers at one of the port’s active terminals and causing significant damage to cargo while temporarily disrupting operations.

The blaze reportedly started in the container storage area near the international container terminal and rapidly spread to adjacent units due to the close stacking of containers. Thick plumes of smoke were visible across the port area as emergency responders raced to contain the situation.

Multiple firefighting units from the Karachi Port Trust, city fire services, and naval authorities were deployed to the scene. The fire took several hours to bring under control, with crews facing challenges due to the nature of the cargo involved. Preliminary information suggests that several containers were carrying electrical equipment and other potentially hazardous materials, which intensified the fire and complicated suppression efforts.

Port officials confirmed that no injuries or fatalities were reported, crediting the timing of the incident and swift evacuation measures for preventing casualties. As a precaution, loading and unloading operations in the affected section of the terminal were temporarily suspended while safety inspections were conducted.