Karachi’s Korangi inferno continues to rage for eighth consecutive day

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Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) chief fire officer Humayun Khan on Saturday ruled out the possibility of a major underground gas reserves as the mysterious Korangi Enforno continued a rage for the eighth consecutive day.

While talking to the media, Humayun said: “Looking at the nature of the fire, it seems that there is no major reservoir of underground gas.”

According to the news, on March 29, a mysterious fire broke out during the drilling process for 1,200 feet deep bore for the search for water on the site in Korangi Creek.

The damage to the underground earth plates is believed to be about 1,100 to 1,200 feet down due to drilling activity. Although the type of gas contained in it has not been definitely confirmed, methane or biogas are potentially guilty, as is common in such incidents.

Sand and water samples were already deposited for chemical analysis, which will help determine the nature of fire fueling gas.

Humayun said the severity of the flames and the amount of water emerging from the ground have decreased in the last few days. “Fire can extinguish in an hour, but it can spread gas [which could be dangerous for the residents in nearby areas]”He added.

The fire chief added that such a fire was usually left to burn for a month as any attempt to extinguish the fire could result in toxic gases, which put the nearby residential areas at risk.

Responding to a question about the chemical analysis of sand and water samples, the fire officer said that the Eid holidays have been delayed and it is hoped that the report will be received by Monday.

In light of the report, authorities will decide on ways to overcome it or deal with the ongoing situation.

It is appropriate to mention here that the district administration has sealed the plot where the fire is setting. However, there are currently no active fire fighting efforts, and the situation is observing.

A day ago, Humayun said authorities were closely harmony with the PPL.

The fire officer added, “This is the first incident in Karachi, and when it is an important concern for residents, it is relatively normal for companies like PPL and SUI Southern Gas Company (SSGC).”

He made it clear that although it would not be a challenge to flames, it could make the situation more dangerous.

Humayun claimed that close refineries were not in danger due to the fire distance. However, steps were being taken to protect the nearby forests from possible ignition due to heat or wandering flames.

Experts suggest that the safest curriculum of the process is to naturally allow gas to burn.

A recent diagnosis also revealed that if gas reserves are small, the fire will likely burn itself in a few days. On the contrary, if the reserves are important, additional measures will be taken to secure the area and fire.

In a related development, TPL Properties Limited revealed that the fire was due to the excavation of the wells for the search for water near the Korangi crack. Drilling exposes a pocket of a shallow gas that is believed to be a naturally found gas biogenic methane. The company has been transparent in its communication with stakeholders and is closely monitoring the situation.

SUI Southern Gas Company (SSGC) confirmed that its installations were not close to the fire -hit area, while Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL) was carefully evaluating the impact on gas supply.