A major fire at a tissue paper factory in Hayatabad, Peshawar has raged for over 21 hours but has still not been fully extinguished.

Despite claims by Rescue 1122 that 90% of the fire was under control and cooling operations were underway, the factory suffered extensive damage, with an estimated 80% of its contents destroyed.

The fire, which started yesterday due to a suspected short circuit, quickly engulfed the entire factory. Twenty Rescue 1122 vehicles and over 100 personnel battled the blaze, utilizing foam to combat the chemicals involved. Teams from Charsadda, Mardan, Swabi, and Khyber district assisted in the firefighting efforts.

The intensity of the fire and the use of large amounts of water caused the factory building’s roof to collapse. Approximately 18 rescue workers suffered from heat exhaustion or other related ailments during the operation, but all have since received medical attention and recovered.

Rescue officials acknowledge that the fire may take several more hours to be completely extinguished. The use of chemicals in the paper manufacturing process significantly complicated firefighting efforts. Abdul Kareem, Special Assistant to the Chief Minister for Industries, announced an inquiry into the incident to determine the exact cause of the fire and the extent of the damage.

While factory workers estimate the losses to be in the billions, the final assessment will be available only after the completion of the inquiry report.