A huge fire that destroyed at least 100 huts in the Teen Hatti area along the Lyari Expressway on Saturday was completely staged and orchestrated in a bid to get cash assistance from the government, reported 24NewsHD TV channel revealed on Tuesday.  

Karachi police arrested the accused Fahad who ‘confessed’ that he set the huts on fire in greed of financial assistance from the government. The accused said he thought huts dwellers would get huge amounts of money just like last year’s episode where the government gave money to affectees.

No loss of life was reported in the incident, police and fire officials said. The fire left a large number of people, including women and children, living along the Lyari River shelterless.

Chief Fire Officer Mubeen Ahmed said they received information about the fire at around 8.15am. Initially, three fire engines were sent from the nearby Nazimabad fire station. Later, realising the intensity of the fire, seven more fire engines were dispatched, which managed to douse the fire.

The huts were built with cloth or tents and all the huts were connected with each other with pieces of cloth, therefore, when the fire erupted in one hut, it rapidly spread and engulfed.

SSP Central said that the fire incident’s FIR was registered in the SuperMarket Police Station.