A first Information Report (FIR) has been registered against the owners of Karachi’s Chase departmental store over a blaze that started in the basement killing one and took over 24 hours to bring under control.

The FIR has been registered at Ferozabad police station under sections 322, 420, and 34 of the Pakistan Penal Code.

The fire at the departmental store continued to blaze 24 hours in with people living nearby saying that billions of their property and belongings are at stake.

“We are working on the ground floor currently,” said Shoaib Khan, a fire station officer, who came out for a break on Thursday. “The basement has become a huge oven and many floors have fallen. It is not possible to go inside currently; therefore our men are trying to put off the fire from above.”

The fire is still raging in the basement.

At least 22 men are working to extinguish the fire and all fire brigade stations are on high alert and sending vehicles.

“At around 4 am today the flames became low but ignited again after some hours,” said Muhammad Mansoor, a resident of Sumya Bridge View apartment where Chase is located.

Another resident Nadir Yosuf asked, “Who uses a basement as a warehouse? That too in a posh area?”

He added that as items with alcoholic content such as sanitizers and perfumes were stored there, along with racks of cooking oil and diesel for generators, the blaze keeps re-igniting.

“We have moved our families and have been looking after the building since yesterday,” he said. “My car is still inside and I don’t know whether it is safe or not.”

When the fire broke out on Wednesday morning, people left the building. “We have our belongings in the building,” said an emotional Yosuf. “The overall property’s value is in billions. Who would compensate that?”

Initially, the residents expected the fire to be controlled in a few hours but It has been over a day with no end in sight.

“We seek compensation from the store owners otherwise we will stage protests and demonstrate sit-ins,” said Yosuf.

There are 170 flats in the building with more than 1,000 people living in them. The lifts, sewerage pipes, parking lot, have all been destroyed.

“We heard rumors that the store owners have insurance so in that case they have nothing to lose and we have everything at stake,” said Yosuf.