A fire has erupted once again at Korangi Creek in Karachi, just hours after it had mysteriously extinguished itself. The blaze, which originally broke out on March 29, had subsided around 5:30 a.m. Tuesday without any external intervention, only to reignite at the same location later in the day.

The Chief Fire Officer has stated that the fire was deliberately ignited to test the area for the presence of gas, suggesting a controlled assessment of the site’s ongoing safety risks.

The Sindh government has maintained continuous contact with relevant departments and has been reviewing the situation daily due to the fire’s persistent intensity over the past 18 days. The provincial authorities had previously advised the public to avoid visiting the dangerous site.

In response to the prolonged incident, the Ministry of Energy formed a high-level investigative committee comprising experts from Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL), Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL), and Pakistan Refinery Limited (PRL) to assess the situation and determine the cause of the fire.

Earlier, authorities had hired the services of US experts to help address the fire in the Korangi area. The petroleum ministry engaged an American company after the Sindh Chief Secretary intervened in the matter, according to a spokesperson.

The recurring nature of the fire raises significant concerns about fire safety and environmental risks in the area. Authorities continue to monitor the situation closely as they work to determine the source of the gas and implement a permanent solution to prevent further incidents.