A fire that broke out in a tissue paper factory located in the Hayatabad area of Peshawar was brought under control after 24 hours on Sunday, with cooling operations under way.

Officials said that 80 per cent of the factory has been reduced to ashes, resulting in billions of rupees in losses. They added that around 1,300 labourers’ livelihood was associated with the factory..

The fire erupted in the Hayatabad Industrial Area on Saturday due to a short circuit, rapidly engulfing the entire factory within minutes.

Rescue officials reported that the factory building also sustained damage due to the blaze. The extensive use of water during the firefighting operation led to the collapse of the building’s roof.

A total of 20 vehicles from Rescue 1122 participated in the firefighting efforts, with over 100 personnel engaged in extinguishing the flames. Foam was also employed to control the fire due to the presence of chemicals in the factory.

Rescue officials reported that teams from Charsadda, Mardan, Swabi, and Khyber also participated in efforts to contain the fire. Approximately 18 rescue personnel became unwell during the firefighting operation, but have since received medical attention and are in stable condition.

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Abdul Karim, the special assistant to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister for industry, announced an inquiry into the incident, stating that the use of chemicals in the factory contributed to the prolonged firefighting efforts.

A report will be compiled to determine the root causes of the fire, he added.

Employees working at the factory estimate that the losses amount to over Rs5 billion.