Buildings next to the Chase department store that caught fire Wednesday have to be emptied, the authorities declared as the blaze raged even 20 hours after.

One person died of asphyxiation in the fire that broke out in the basement of the well-known department store in Karachi. The victim was said to have come to give a job interview. Eleven fire tenders, two bowsers, one snorkel had to be called in.

The store is located at Jail Chowrangi. Roads leading to it have been sealed.

The fire broke out in the basement of the store at around 11am.

KMC Chief Fire Officer Mubeen Ahmed, who was at the site, told Aaj News that tankers from the Karachi Water & Sewerage Board were also ensuring a stable supply of water at the site of the fire.

At least one person was rushed to the hospital after inhaling smoke emitting from the basement. Many customers were also stuck in the building who were rescued.

“They (the department store management) were using the basement as a warehouse without official permission. There are no emergency exits.”

Maintaining a warehouse requires permission, which they didn’t have, he added. “Basic emergency protocols weren’t followed.”

While bowsers and tenders have doused the flames on the outside, those on site say that the blaze is still raging on in the basement.

Ahmed said cargo isn’t permitted to be stored in the basement without explicit permission. “It is stored under sheds in the open so that it is visible in case there is any situation like this one.”

He said the situation was made worse as the department store is located on the ground floor of the 15-storey residential complex.

The reason of the fire could not be immediately ascertained but one fire department official said that it was due to a short circuit in the basement.

Sohail, a resident of the apartment complex Sumya Bridge View that is located above Chase, said that residents have been asked to vacate the 15-storey building. “The power has also been cut,” he said.

A salesgirl at Chase, who didn’t want to be named, said the fire broke out due to short circuit in the basement warehouse. “It happened sometime between 10:30 am and 11am.”

She said the men working at the department store tried to put out the fire but they weren’t able to bring it under control.

“The flame quickly engulfed everything stored in the basement-warehouse,” she told Aaj News.

She said one staff member was trapped in the CCTV room and was evacuated after one side of the wall was broken down. He was later rushed to the hospital after inhaling fumes. It wasn’t immediately clear if the employee rushed to the hospital is the same individual who has been reported dead.

List of shopping mall fires in Karachi from 2016 to date Jan 22, 2016 Gulf Centre, Clifton March 31, 2016 Rabi Centre, Tariq Road April 12, 2016 Dolmen Mall, Tariq Road June 2, 2016 Ashiana Shopping Centre, Clifton June 3, 2016 Hyperstar Mall, Clifton Aug 6, 2016 Gold Mark, Defence Aug 6, 2016 Jama Cloth Market, MA Jinnah Rd Aug 7, 2016 Gul Plaza, MA JInnah Road Aug 26, 2016 Gul Plaza, MA JInnah Road Oct 13, 2016 Madina Mall, Saddar Oct 17, 2016 Gul Centre, Saddar Oct 25, 2016 Atrium Mall, Saddar Oct 27, 2016 Atrium Mall, Saddar Oct 29, 2016 Erum Shopping Centre Jan 4, 2017 Atrium Mall, Saddar Jan 21, 2017 Madni Shopping Mall, Hyderi Feb 2, 2017 TechnoCity Mall April 30, 2017 Imtiaz Store, Gulshan May 2, 2017 Zainab Market, Saddar June 28, 2017 Jama Cloth Market, MA Jinnah Rd June 29, 2017 Metro Department Store, Shahrah-e-Faisal July 18, 2017 Gul Plaza, MA JInnah Road Oct 17, 2017 Mateen Centre, Tariq Road Nov 1, 2017 Glamour One, Tariq Road Nov 22, 2017 Karim Centre, Saddar Dec 9, 2017 Silk Mall, Shaheed-e-Millat Dec 12, 2017 City Shopping Mall Feb 2, 2018 Gul Plaza, MA JInnah Road Feb 17, 2018 Green Super Market, Disco Bakery March 4, 2018 Millenium Mall, Gulshan March 25, 2018 Naheed Super Store, Shaheed-e-Millat March 27, 2018 Ocean Shopping Mall, Clifton April 11, 2018 Gul Centre, Saddar April 12, 2018 Al Karam Studio, Bahadurabad April 16, 2018 A-Market Super Store May 24, 2018 Grace Shopping Centre, Gulistan-e-Johar June 9, 2018 Rainbow Centre June 17, 2018 Jama Cloth Market, MA Jinnah Rd June 24, 2018 Atrium Mall, Saddar June 24, 2018 TechnoCity Mall Aug 23, 2018 Imtiaz Super Store, Awami Markaz Aug 24, 2018 Imtiaz Super Store, Awami Markaz Oct 1, 2018 TechnoCity Mall Oct 10, 2018 Imtiaz Super Store, Nazimabad Jan 31, 2019 KK Super Market Feb 28, 2019 Millenium Mall, Gulshan April 18, 2019 Empress View Mall, Saddar May 7, 2019 Bin Hashim Store, Gulistan-e-Johar June 4, 2019 Madina Shopping Mall, Tariq Road June 23, 2019 Erum Shopping Centre, Gulistan-e-Johar July 23, 2019 RJ Mall, Rashid Minhas Road Aug 11, 2019 Mateen Centre, Tariq Road January 11, 2020 Firdous Shopping Centre, Liaquatabad No 4 Feb 5, 2020 Malir Tanki area Feb 7, 2020 Zainab Market, Saddar Aug 24, 2021 Moosa Lane, Lyari Oct 11, 2021 Chavla Market in Nazimabad No 1 Nov 15, 2021 Cooperative market, Saddar Nov 17, 2021 Victoria centre, Abdullah Haroon Road