QUETTA: At least 43 people were injured after a massive fire engulfed a Pakistan Customs warehouse in the southwestern Balochistan province on Sunday, government and health officials said on Monday as firefighters continue to battle the flames.
The incident took place at a Pakistan Customs warehouse in Mastung district’s Luk Pass area, which is located around 28 kilometers from the provincial capital of Quetta, on Sunday morning. A fire broke out in the warehouse which engulfed the entire building, burning various vehicles and goods that were stored there completely.
The PDMA said the fire was intense due to the presence of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) cylinders, fuel reserves, and hazardous chemicals inside the warehouse. Bahram Saleem, the deputy commissioner of Mastung, told Arab News that the fire erupted in what was one of the largest customs warehouses in Balochistan. He said the warehouse was filled with various goods, including flammable items.
“Forty-three people were injured in the fire incident, among them some were in critical condition with more than 60 percent burn injuries,” Saleem said. “The injured were shifted to Civil Hospital Quetta and Nawab Ghosh Buksh Raisani Hospital Mastung.”
Dr. Hadi Kakar, a medical superintendent at the Civil Hospital Quetta, told Arab News earlier that 31 people were brought to the Burn Center with injuries. Out of these, he said seven were in critical condition.
Saleem said authorities were investigating how the fire started and were questioning the warehouse staff.
The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) Balochistan said in a statement that it had deployed 30 rescue personnel, 13 ambulances, four fire trucks and seven water bowsers to control the flames on Sunday.
“During the field assessment and operational supervision, a massive LPG bowser exploded at the incident site,” the PDMA said.
Younis Azizi, the in-charge at PDMA’s control room in Mastung, said rescue teams were still engaged in the firefighting operation.
“More than 80 percent of the fire has been controlled that erupted in the customs warehouse on Sunday,” Aziz told Arab News. “Smoke still erupting from small-sized flames, which would be controlled in the next few hours.”
Luk Pass is a major transit point for Iranian fuel smuggled into Pakistan via Balochistan. Dozens of fuel depots store and transport the fuel here to several locations across the province.
Fires and explosions linked to fuel storage and transportation are relatively common in Balochistan, which borders Iran and Afghanistan. At least 19 people were killed in April 2025 when an oil tanker caught fire and exploded in the province’s Nushki district.
