KARACHI: At least 11 vehicles were destroyed when a fire broke out in a pole-mounted transformer outside the Qatar Hospital in Orangi Town on Tuesday and spread to the parking yard of the health facility, officials said.

They said the fire broke out in the 750-kVA PMT installed outside the hospital which first led to suspension of power supply to the facility. Within a few minutes, they said, strong winds caused the nre to spread and it reached the adjoining parking yard of the hospital.

`Initially we sent a fire tender after receiving a complaint,` said an official at the central fire office. `Then another fire tender was rushed to the site. The firefighting operation lasted hardly for 15 to 20 minutes but the fire had already damaged 10 motorbikes and a car parl(ed in the yard. The cause of the fire is not 1(nown yet.

A K-Electric spokesman said the fire broke out in the 750-kVA PMT outside the Qatar Hospital about whose cause they, too, were not clear.

`There was also a fire inside the hospital and it spread to a substation as well.

To restore power at the hospital there was a requirement to submit a letter to the Electrical Inspector Karachi for a no-objection certificate.

Still, KE immediately ordered replacement of the PMT, work on which was under way till late evening, the spol(esman said.