Entertainment
Karachi reports 225 fire outbreaks in January alone
- Fire incidents expose serious gaps in safety preparedness.
- More than 20 fire incidents reported in February so far.
- Deadliest incident of Gul Plaza fire occurred on Jan 17.
The memory of the deadly Gul Plaza fire still haunts Karachi, a stark reminder of how devastating fires can be in the city. But fire incidents still continue unabated, exposing serious gaps in safety and emergency preparedness.
Alarmingly, this January alone, Karachi reported 225 fire incidents, leaving destruction, injuries and loss of lives in their wake, The News reported on Saturday.
The trend has continued into February, with more than 20 fire incidents reported in just the first five days, showing that the city remains at constant risk.
Authorities warn that unless stricter safety measures are implemented and public awareness is raised, Karachi’s residents will continue to face daily threats from both major and minor fire incidents — a danger that cannot be ignored.
On Thursday alone, fire incidents were reported at six different locations in various parts of the city. While no human casualties were reported in these incidents, two animals — a cow and a buffalo — suffered burn injuries.
The deadliest incident had occurred on January 17, when an inferno at the Gul Plaza killed 79 people, including women and children, and left at least 22 others injured, according to official figures.
Since then, no major fire disaster of a similar scale has been reported. However, small-scale fires continue to erupt on a daily basis, with as many as five to six incidents sometimes being reported in a single day.
Four more people, including a child and an elderly man, also lost their lives in separate fire incidents last month. Alongside the loss of lives, countless others are grappling with property damage and financial ruin, painting a grim picture of the persistent danger fires pose to Karachi’s residents.
People often focus only on the Gul Plaza fire, the lives lost in it and the devastation it caused. But while such large-scale tragedies are rare, smaller fire incidents continue to occur on a daily basis across the city. These are not just statistics. People are losing their lives and suffering financial losses every day.
Among other notable incidents, a man died in Landhi on January 1 after being burnt by a fire lit to keep warm during the cold weather. On January 26, in Malir’s Khokhrapar area, a fire broke out at a privately run school operating inside a house, resulting in the death of a minor and injuries to another. Other students were rescued in time.
Another fatal fire occurred in Gulistan-e-Jauhar on January 28. A separate fire incident in Orangi Town also claimed one life. Several others suffered injuries in incidents reported at Hawkesbay and in Korangi, and near the Met Office area.
Data shows that District Central reported 30, the highest number of fires, in January. Saddar reported 18 incidents, while another 18 occurred within the jurisdiction of the Sohrab Goth–Gulistan-e-Mustafa fire station.
Nazimabad reported 13 incidents, SITE Area 11, and Lyari and Korangi nine each. Landhi reported three incidents, while Orangi Town and Shah Faisal Colony reported eight each. Manzoor Colony reported 14 incidents, and areas covered by the New Karachi fire station reported 13.
On Thursday, fires were reported at multiple locations, including a plastic warehouse near Nauman Kanta on Sher Shah Akbar Road, where the fire repeatedly reignited due to Thermocol. Firefighters used heavy machinery under the supervision of Assistant Commissioner Nida Saman to demolish walls and complete cooling operations.
Other incidents included a fire on the roof of a private bank near the Sultan Hospital in Korangi No. 4, a fire in chemical-filled drums at a perfume factory in Mehran Town, a cattle shed fire in Malir’s Khurramabad area, a fire at a gym in Federal B Area, and a fire at a K-Electric junction near the Fatima Tower in New Karachi Industrial Area. All the fires were brought under control without any human casualties.
Authorities have expressed concern over the rising frequency of fire incidents, and stressed the urgent need for stricter safety measures, regular inspections and greater public awareness to prevent more tragedies.
Entertainment
Princess Beatrice husband takes shocking step, fuels rumours again
Princess Beatrice’s husband once again returned to the headlines after his quiet social media move came to notice.
A few days ago, the property developer shared a video featuring his trip to Los Angeles, and it was captioned as “life is not a movie.”
However, the video is now deleted, leaving people assuming things.
Netizens speculate that the couple may be facing challenges behind the scenes, as scrutiny remains intense due to Andrew and Sarah Ferguson’s connections to Epstein.
There were also rumours about Beatrice and Edo’s marital woes.
But, it was denied by the couple’s pal to HELLO! that the talks surrounding their marriage problems are “not true at all.”
“The only thing Bea and Edo are navigating is their busy jobs and looking after their children! They’ve both had recent stints working abroad and, like so many working parents, have been balancing work with looking after the kids,” the source shared.
An insider said that Beatrice and Edo’s relationship is as strong as before. The only distance between them is due to work and other professional commitments.
Entertainment
King Charles hopes for peace in new message as US tour hangs in balance
King Charles extended warm wishes to a member country of the Commonwealth amid talks surrounding his US tour.
According to Bangladesh’s news outlets, the monarch sent a personal message to join Bangladeshis celebrating their Independence Day.
From praying for peace to praising the country’s efforts in climate action, the King conveyed his good wishes.
He penned, “It is with sincere appreciation that I reflect upon the enduring partnership between our nations, rooted in the shared values and mutual respect that define our Commonwealth.”
The King also talked about the importance of unity, especially in times of political unrest across the world.
Moreover, he added, “Our collaboration on climate action remains an essential feature of our relationship…”
“…I greatly value Bangladesh’s determined leadership in building resilience and advancing sustainable development as, together, we work to safeguard our environment and secure a more sustainable, prosperous future for generations to come,” the monarch stated.
Prince William’s father hopes for peace, prosperity, and progress for the people of Bangladesh.
Notably, the King’s new statement came at a time when Britons are demanding to cancel his much-awaited US tour after Trump called out the UK for not providing bases during the conflict.
Entertainment
MLB’s “robot umpire” debuts in Yankees-Giants season opener
San Francisco — New York’s José Caballero thought for sure the pitch from Logan Webb had missed the strike zone, so he challenged the human umpire’s call – and made major league history in the process.
Caballero lost the first challenge taken to Major League Baseball’s so-called robot umpire, unsuccessfully appealing a strike by the San Francisco Giants right-hander in Wednesday night’s season opener that the Yankees won, 7-0.
Caballero didn’t hesitate. “Nope, I wanted to go for it,” he said.
Webb started the fourth inning with a 90.7 mph sinker on the upper, inner corner that was called a strike by Bill Miller, a major league umpire since 1997. Caballero tapped his helmet, and the 12 Hawk-Eye cameras of the Automated Ball-Strike System upheld Miller’s decision in a graphic shown on the Oracle Park scoreboard.
“I thought it was a little higher that what it showed,” Caballero said.
“I think it’s really good, keep everyone accountable,” he added. “It gives us a chance to really see how good (we are) with the zone or not. I wish it was the other way around, I’m trying to get the overturn call but this time I didn’t.”
New York was ahead 5-0 at the time. Caballero drove in the first run with an RBI single in a five-run second inning against Webb, who recorded his 1,000th career strikeout in the fourth.
Jeff Chiu / AP
The automated system had been tested in the minor leagues since 2019 and was used during major league spring training in 2025 and ’26. Some managers have said they will still find ways to argue and get ejected.
CBSSports.com’s Mike Axisa pointed out that, “Funny enough, the next pitch was a called strike that looked even more egregiously out of the zone. Caballero did not challenge that one, though. He wasn’t going to burn New York’s two challenges on back-to-back pitches. There’s plenty of strategy with these challenges. Teams won’t just challenge anything they think went against them. The game situation is important.”
Before Wednesday’s game, Yankees manager Aaron Boone spoke in support of ABS and the importance of discussing decisions on challenges with his team ahead of time. He stressed that this will be a learning process for everybody involved.
“I’ve tried to be real direct with them and why,” he said. “I feel like we’re going to be good at it, that’s the expectation. I’m sure we’ll continue to evolve with it.”
New San Francisco skipper Tony Vitello, who came to the Giants from the University of Tennessee with no professional experience as a player or coach, said he had to remind himself earlier Wednesday that the robots might take over at times.
“‘I’ve got to be honest with you, one thing I was looking at is who are the umpires tonight?” he said. “You get on Google (and) the first thing you see is there’s going to be a robot umpire. And it was only for a millisecond but I kind of freaked out.”
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