A man has died after a large fire swept through a foam factory in Lahore, with his body discovered during a search of the premises once the blaze had been brought under control.
The fire broke out in material used to make foam late on Wednesday night at the Mini Star Foam Factory in Sundar Industrial Estate, according to reports from the scene. Foam-making material burns quickly and produces thick smoke, which can make firefighting especially difficult.
According to sources quoted in the reports, the fire was caused by a short circuit and spread rapidly through the factory. A short circuit can ignite nearby combustible material in seconds, and in a factory storing foam and related products, the flames can travel across stock and machinery before firefighters arrive.
Rescue 1122 officials said the Lahore Command and Control Centre received the call about the blaze at 22:21 on Wednesday night. The firefighting and rescue operation was led by District Emergency Officer Dr Rizwan Ahmad Chaudhry.
Firefighters worked through the night and into Thursday morning in what was described as a large operation. The reports give differing breakdowns of the vehicles and personnel involved, so the exact scale of the deployment is not stated with certainty here, but the operation clearly involved multiple fire tenders, rescue vehicles and dozens of personnel.
Foam fires pose particular hazards. The material can melt and drip while burning, the smoke can be toxic, and the heat can weaken a building’s structure. Firefighters therefore need breathing apparatus and a careful approach, working to contain the fire before entering to search for anyone inside.
Once the fire was under control on Thursday morning, rescue personnel carried out a search of the factory. During that search they found a dead body, which was handed over to police. Police were working to establish the identity of the deceased person, who has not been named in the reports published so far.
It is not yet clear whether the man who died was an employee, a guard, or someone else connected with the factory. That detail, along with the exact cause of death, is expected to become clearer once police complete their identification work and any post-mortem examination.
The factory itself suffered extensive damage in the blaze. Foam factories hold large quantities of flammable stock, and once a fire takes hold, the contents of the premises are often destroyed even when the building shell survives.
Industrial fires of this kind also raise questions about fire safety arrangements at the premises, including alarms, exits, electrical wiring and the storage of flammable material. No findings on those questions have been published yet in connection with this fire, and any inquiry would need to examine the site before reaching conclusions.
For the family of the man who died, the immediate concern is identification and the release of the body. For the factory’s workers, the fire means disruption to their livelihoods while the damage is assessed and the premises are made safe.
Further updates are expected as police confirm the identity of the deceased and as rescue officials release a final account of the operation that brought the fire under control.