Chemical plant fire in Pakistan kills at least 17 workers

Firefighters and search and rescue personnel on the back of a fire engine

Source: © Muhammad Sabir Mazhar/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

Blocked windows and exits hampered rescue efforts

A fire in a chemical factory in Karachi, Pakistan, on 27 August has left at least 17 workers dead. According to local and international news reporting, the fire broke out on the ground floor of the three-storey building, which had only one entrance and exit. Many of the windows – as well as the roof exit ­– had been blocked, leaving workers trapped on the upper floors.