Massive fire rips through dozens of shops at a mall in Pakistan, killing 3 people

Key Highlights

• According to the local media, most shop owners were closing their stores or had already left when the fire broke out and spread quickly. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS ADThe cause of the fire was not immediately known.
• Police said an investigation would be launched once the blaze was extinguished.
• However, most structures in Karachi, and other parts of the country, lack fire prevention and firefighting systems, which often results in damages and casualties. More from World Iran protests weaken, activists say over 3,000 killed as Tehran plans to restore SMS, internet Indonesia: Rescue team finds aircraft wreckage after it loses contact mid-flightTV footage showed firefighters in protective gear battling the flames.
• Several fire trucks used ladders, water cannons and hoses to douse the building’s floors, where flames shot out of windows and balconies.
• Thick black smoke billowed into the night sky and was visible from several blocks away, according to an Associated Press reporter at the scene. Authorities said the fire spread rapidly after erupting in an area of the mall where shopkeepers had stored imported garments, clothing and plastic household goods, which helped fuel the flames. Quick ReadsView AllIndonesia: Rescue team finds aircraft wreckage after it loses contact mid-flightPentagon orders 1,500 soldiers to prepare for possible deployment in Minnesota amid unrestKarachi is the capital of southern Sindh province, where such incidents are common.