Karachi Fire Incidents Statistics: What Is Reported, and by Whom
Karachi has no public dataset of fire incidents. The numbers you read in the news come from fire brigade officials talking to reporters, and the same year can carry two different totals. This page gathers Karachi fire incidents statistics in one place, names the outlet and date for every figure, and shows where the reports disagree. United Trading Company is a fire safety supplier at Shop no 1, Shams Chamber, Shahrah-e-Liaquat, opposite DIGP investigation office, Seari Quarters, Karachi. We are not an authority on fire data, so we publish the sources instead of our own count.
Request a quoteShop no 1, Shams Chamber, Shahrah-e-Liaquat, Seari Quarters. Open Mon to Fri 11 am to 7:30 pm, Sat 11 am to 7 pm, closed Sunday
At a glance
- How to read it
- "incidents" means calls reported by the fire brigade, not confirmed fires
- Latest solid count we found
- January 2026 (see the gaps section)
- Questions about equipment
- Call or WhatsApp 0313 2291500
How many fires happen in Karachi each year?
The Karachi fire brigade reported more than 2,400 fire incidents in 2025, according to fire brigade officials quoted by The News and Geo on 21 January 2026. Reports for 2023 and 2024 run from about 2,200 to about 3,000 depending on the outlet.
| Year | Reported figure | Source and date | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2,228 calls at 29 stations | Dawn, 18 December 2024 | Speaker was a Fire Protection Association of Pakistan official citing the city fire department |
| 2023 | 2,800 fires | Business Recorder, 18 December 2024 | Same conference and speaker, different number |
| 2024 | 2,187 (1 January to 17 December) | Express Tribune, 29 December 2024 | Partial year |
| 2024 | More than 2,900 through November | Dawn, 18 December 2024 | Conflicts with the Tribune count |
| 2025 | More than 2,400 | The News and Geo, 21 January 2026 | Fire brigade officials |
Why do Karachi's yearly fire figures disagree?
The figures differ because they are quoted from officials at different dates, some cover part of a year, and "calls" are counted differently from "fires". The Express Tribune counted to 17 December 2024 while Dawn counted to the end of November and reached a higher total. Neither outlet published the brigade's own table.
Treat every row as "reported by", not as an audited total. Methodology for this page: we copy the number as published, name the outlet and the date, and keep both figures where two exist. We do not average, adjust or fill gaps. One outlet's 2025 estimate of "about 2,500 a year" (Express Tribune, 29 March 2026) is a rounded baseline from one unnamed official, so we do not use it as a count.
Which months have the most fires in Karachi?
Looking at the last two years only, March was a busy month in both, and July and September were among the quietest. The busiest month on record in this data is October 2025 with 278 incidents. We found no summer peak in either year.
| Month | 2024 (to 17 Dec, Express Tribune) | 2025 (The News and Geo) |
|---|---|---|
| January | 230 | not itemised |
| February | 214 | 203 |
| March | 228 | 256 |
| April | 165 | 232 |
| May | 203 | 169 |
| June | 200 | 197 |
| July | 143 | 148 |
| August | 149 | 166 |
| September | 119 | 141 |
| October | 200 | 278 |
| November | 175 | 265 |
| December | 161 (first 17 days only) | "dozens", no figure |
The ten 2025 months listed add up to 2,055, which leaves about 345 for January and December if the 2,400 holds. We do not publish a number for those two months. Two years of data cannot show a season, so read this as a snapshot, not a rule.
What did January 2026 look like?
The Karachi Fire Brigade's January 2026 report, as published by ARY News on 9 February 2026, counted 225 incidents, 83 deaths and 24 injuries. Most of those deaths came from one large building fire in the month. Geo, ARY and others reprint the same brigade report, so they count as one source.
January's 225 is close to the 2025 monthly average of about 200, so it looks typical to high, but one month does not make a peak. Geo (7 February 2026) reported more than 20 incidents in the first five days of February. We found no month-by-month or cumulative count for February to October 2026. That is "not found", not "not published".
An Express Tribune article of 29 March 2026 said "nearly 240" incidents so far in 2026. That cannot sit beside 225 in January alone, and the article names no start date, so we do not use it.
Which parts of Karachi log the most fire calls?
In January 2026 the Central fire station area logged the most calls, 30, followed by Saddar with 18. The table below is the area list as published by ARY on 9 February 2026. It is partial: the rows add up to 154, not 225.
| Station area | Incidents, January 2026 |
|---|---|
| Central | 30 |
| Saddar | 18 |
| Sohrab Goth / Gulistan-e-Mustafa | 18 |
| Manzoor Colony | 14 |
| Nazimabad | 13 |
| New Karachi | 13 |
| SITE | 11 |
| Lyari | 9 |
| Korangi | 9 |
| Orangi | 8 |
| Shah Faisal | 8 |
| Landhi | 3 |
ARY does not say whether the 18 for Sohrab Goth and Gulistan-e-Mustafa is one combined figure or 18 each. One month is also a thin base. Do not read the ranking as a permanent list of high-risk areas.
How many fire stations and fire tenders does Karachi have?
Reports disagree. Dawn (17 December 2025) quoted an MPA in the Sindh Assembly giving 20 fire stations, 36 tenders, 4 snorkels and about 700 staff. The News (21 January 2026) said 28 stations, and the Express Tribune (29 March 2026) said 28 stations, 53 functional tenders and 6 snorkels.
We found no document that explains the gap. Rescue 1122 is a different agency, with 4 fire stations and 7 tenders in Karachi according to its director general (The News, 4 March 2026). Do not add the two. The 35 tenders Sindh handed to Rescue 1122 in August 2026 (Dawn) are for the province, not for the Karachi fire brigade.
What causes most fires in Karachi?
No official breakdown of causes was found, so any split is an estimate. A senior fire brigade official, who was not named, estimated to the Express Tribune on 29 March 2026 that about 70 percent of Karachi fires involve electrical faults and about 30 percent gas. We found no second source or dataset behind that estimate.
Experts at a Fire Protection Association conference named faulty wiring as the main cause of urban fires and also pointed to gas cylinder blasts (Dawn, 9 October 2025). That is expert opinion, not counted data.
Gas has no count beyond the 30 percent estimate. Two dated gas events are on the record:
- 19 February 2026, Gul Rana Colony, Soldier Bazaar: a gas explosion and building collapse. The toll is reported as 16 (Aaj, same day) and 17 (Express Tribune, 29 March 2026). A councillor said leaking pipelines were to blame, and the utility did not respond. The cause is not confirmed.
- 21 February 2026, North Nazimabad: a cylinder blast at a residential building killed one person and injured four (Arab News).
Which big incidents did Karachi record in 2025 and 2026?
The incidents below are listed with dates and the outlet that reported them. Casualty figures are as reported at the time and some outlets differ.
| Date | Place | What was reported | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21 August 2025 | M.A. Jinnah Road, Al-Amina Plaza basement | Fireworks warehouse blast; at least 6 dead, 32 or 33 injured | Dawn timeline, 19 January 2026 |
| 22 December 2025 | Landhi EPZ factory | No casualties; cause unknown | Dawn timeline, 19 January 2026 |
| 19 February 2026 | Gul Rana Colony, Soldier Bazaar | Gas explosion and collapse; 16 or 17 dead | Aaj, 19 February 2026; Express Tribune, 29 March 2026 |
| 8 September 2026 | KMC head office | Fire reached the mayor's office; suspected short circuit; no casualties | Geo and Express Tribune, 8 September 2026 |
A separate fire at an EPZ garment factory on 4 December 2025 involved a building collapse. It is not the same event as the 22 December Landhi fire. The brigade's own 2025 death figure is 6 (The News, 21 January 2026), and the August 2025 warehouse blast alone is reported at 6 or more, so we do not publish a 2025 death total.
What has Sindh done about fire safety since January 2026?
After the January 2026 fires, Sindh ordered building audits, formed a judicial commission and began sealing unsafe buildings. The dates below come from press reports, and each audit count covers a different scope, so do not add them together.
- 18 January 2026: the Chief Minister ordered an inquiry and a city-wide building audit (Gulf News).
- 22 January: SBCA had issued fire safety notices to 266 buildings (Dawn).
- 25 January: a first-phase audit of 2,368 buildings across Sindh, 562 of them in Karachi, was announced (Zameen).
- 4 February: a judicial commission was formed.
- 12 February: the Chief Secretary reported that 91.3 percent of 3,633 inspected buildings lacked fire safety arrangements, with 889 high risk (IANS, citing Dawn and the Express Tribune).
- 27 August: the Chief Secretary ordered fire safety systems in public buildings to be made functional and signed off within 15 days (ProPakistani, 28 August 2026). We did not find the outcome.
What do Karachi's fire records not show?
The records do not show an official dataset, a yearly death total, a December 2025 count, any month after January 2026, or a cause breakdown backed by counted data. Press reports are the only source, and each repeats a statement from fire brigade officials.
- No official table. We found no page from KMC, Rescue 1122, the Sindh Emergency Service or the Sindh Bureau of Statistics that publishes Karachi fire figures. We did not browse every official site, so this may change.
- No death total. The brigade's 2025 figure of 6 sits beside a single August event reported at 6 or more.
- No 2026 after January. The page will be updated when a figure is published.
- No seasonal link. We found no source tying Karachi fires to heat, load-shedding or heaters. The monthly data shows no summer peak.
What does this mean for a shop or building owner?
The pattern in the reports is ordinary: wiring faults, gas, crowded buildings and equipment that is missing or out of date. In a Karachi audit of 266 buildings, more than 200 had no extinguishers (Aaj English, 3 January 2024). That is a fact about equipment, and we make no claim about what any product would have changed in any fire.
Start with the basics for your own building. The shop fire rules page covers what a shop should have, the fire safety audit page explains how a building is checked, and the buying guide shows how to compare quotes. Message us on WhatsApp 0313 2291500 with your building type and area, and we reply during shop hours: Monday to Friday 11 am to 7:30 pm, Saturday 11 am to 7 pm, closed Sunday.
Karachi fire data questions
Short answers to what people ask most.
Ask on WhatsAppIs there an official source for Karachi fire statistics?
We found no official page that publishes Karachi fire incident data as a table. Figures reach the press as statements from fire brigade officials or as a Fire Brigade report. We did not search every official site, so check the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation fire department directly for anything newer.
Are these numbers fires or calls?
They are incidents reported to the fire brigade, which Dawn describes as calls for 2023. A call can be a small fire, a false alarm or a rescue request. The reports do not split them, so this page says "incidents" and not "confirmed fires".
How many people died in Karachi fires in 2025?
There is no reliable yearly total. The fire brigade gave 6 deaths for 2025 (The News, 21 January 2026), yet a single event in August 2025 is reported at 6 or more. Until a source reconciles the two, we publish no total for 2025.
Is March the worst month for fires in Karachi?
March was high in both 2024 (228) and 2025 (256), but October 2025 was higher at 278 and November 2025 at 265. Two years of data cannot name a worst month. We found no summer peak, and the lowest months were July and September in both years.
Which area of Karachi has the most fires?
In January 2026, Central logged the most incidents with 30, then Saddar and Sohrab Goth/Gulistan-e-Mustafa with 18 each. The table is partial and covers one month, so it is not a ranking of risk. A full-year table by station area has not been published.
How often is this page updated?
We re-check the sources twice a year and whenever a new brigade report appears. The date at the top shows when it was last checked. If you hold a newer official figure, send it to us on WhatsApp 0313 2291500 with the source and date.
Sources and last check
How this page was built
United Trading Company wrote it in October 2026 from the sources named on the page.
Facts on this page were checked on 13 Oct 2026. Spotted a mistake? Email info@example.com.
- The News and Geo, 21 January 2026; ARY News, 9 February 2026; Geo, 7 February 2026; Express Tribune, 29 December 2024 and 29 March 2026; Dawn, 18 December 2024, 9 October 2025, 17 December 2025 and 19 January 2026; Business Recorder, 18 December 2024; The News, 4 March 2026; Aaj, 19 February 2026; Arab News, February 2026; Gulf News, Zameen, IANS and ProPakistani as dated above; Aaj English, 3 January 2024. Figures are as reported, not audited.
Talk to the shop
Call 0313 2291500 or send your building type and area on WhatsApp.
You can also walk in at Shop no 1, Shams Chamber, Shahrah-e-Liaquat, opposite DIGP investigation office, Seari Quarters, Karachi. Hours: Mon to Fri 11 am to 7:30 pm, Sat 11 am to 7 pm, closed Sunday. Email: info@example.com