Islamabad’s fire department is getting new vehicles for the first time in almost 20 years.
China is sending 21 modern fire and rescue vehicles to the capital this September. The Chinese Embassy in Pakistan announced the gift on Tuesday.
The fleet is worth 72.31 million Chinese yuan, close to Rs 3 billion. It comes under a 2024 agreement between Pakistan and China.
One vehicle stands out: an 88-metre snorkel fire tender. Islamabad’s current fire trucks can only reach 68 metres. The new tender will let rescue teams work much higher, on tall buildings where regular trucks can’t help.
The gift comes days after a fire at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) killed 14 newborn babies. That tragedy put a spotlight on the capital’s old firefighting equipment. The Capital Development Authority’s fire department last bought new vehicles back in 2006. Its fleet has been aging ever since.
The Chinese Embassy called the gift a sign of the two countries’ “all-weather” partnership. Officials haven’t confirmed the exact date in September the vehicles will reach Islamabad
