Quetta Customs Warehouse Fire Leaves 31 Injured

A major fire at a customs warehouse near Quetta injured at least 31 people on Sunday after flames spread through the facility in the Lakpass area along the Quetta-Mastung highway. The incident triggered a large emergency response as rescue teams, firefighters and hospital staff dealt with burn victims and the continued risk of further explosions.

Initial reports said the blaze erupted around 11am inside the warehouse and continued for several hours, with firefighting efforts extending into the evening. The scale of the fire and the presence of combustible material inside the premises made the operation difficult for fire brigade personnel working to contain the flames.

Officials said an LPG tanker parked within the warehouse compound was caught in the fire and later exploded. The blast intensified the emergency, causing burn injuries to people nearby and raising concerns about additional hazards inside the customs storage site.

The injured were moved to the burn unit of Civil Hospital Quetta, where medical teams began emergency treatment. Authorities confirmed that seven of the injured were in critical condition, suggesting that the fire could still have serious consequences for several families even after the flames are brought under control.

Fire brigade staff said the incident required a prolonged response because the warehouse fire had not been fully contained for much of the day. Rescue officials and local administration personnel remained engaged at the site to prevent the situation from worsening and to assess the extent of damage.

The Lakpass area is a key route on the Quetta-Mastung highway, and any major fire or explosion there can create traffic disruption, public safety risks and pressure on nearby emergency services. Incidents involving LPG tankers are especially dangerous because of the possibility of secondary blasts, heat exposure and rapidly spreading flames.

Customs warehouses often store seized goods, vehicles, containers and other material, making fire safety protocols crucial. The latest incident is expected to raise questions about storage conditions, emergency preparedness, monitoring of hazardous items and the placement of fuel or gas-related vehicles inside such facilities.

For Balochistan, the fire comes as another reminder of the pressure on provincial rescue and health infrastructure, especially when major industrial, transport or storage-related accidents occur outside dense urban centres. Burn units require specialised care, and a sudden influx of injured people can quickly strain hospital capacity.

Authorities are expected to investigate the cause of the blaze and determine whether safety violations, storage practices or negligence contributed to the incident. The immediate priority remains treatment of the injured, full containment of the fire and securing the warehouse area to prevent any further danger to workers, officials and nearby residents.