Karachi plaza fire extinguished: Death toll rises to 14 as fate of more than 60 remains unknown

KARACHI (Dunya News) – It took firefighters more than 33 hours to bring the Gul Plaza fire under control which claimed 14 lives and injured 30 people, 11 of them seriously, with the fate of dozens of trapped people unknown.

The fire which started on Saturday night has damaged the basic structure of the building which caused a major portion to collapse.

Firefighters began cooling the steaming rubble of the nearly collapsed structure. Personnel of Pakistan Navy, Sindh Rangers and Rescue 1122 have doused the fire after hectic efforts.

Fire Brigade Operational In-charge Zafar Khan said that the fire has been brought under control. He said that the lack of ventilation in the mall, which housed more than 1,200 shops, caused the building to fill with smoke and slowed rescue efforts.

Sindh police chief Javed Alam Odho told reporters at the site that the fire appeared to have been caused by a circuit breaker.

He said that the nature of the items in the building, such as carpets, blankets and other objects made of resins, had made it difficult to bring the fire under control.

Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab told media at the scene that 65 people were still missing.

Reuters adds: The fire erupted on Saturday night, with rescue services receiving a call at 10:38 pm (1738 GMT) reporting that ground-floor shops at the multi-storey Gul Plaza shopping centre were ablaze.

"When we arrived, the fire from the ground floor had spread to the upper floors, and almost the entire building was already engulfed in flames," Rescue 1122 spokesperson Hassanul Haseeb Khan told Reuters.

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Firefighting teams continued operations late Sunday night to extinguish a blaze that has been raging since the previous night at the Gul Plaza shopping mall, as Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and rescuers confirmed eight fatalities and said that more than 58 people were still reported missing.

Talking to media during his visit to the fire-ravaged Gul Plaza, Murad Ali Shah said that some people are politicising the tragic incident.

He added that the prime minister has not contacted him so far, but the provincial government will compensate traders for their losses in a transparent manner.

The chief minister said that he was not in the city at the time of the incident and was informed late at night about the blaze.

“I remained in contact with the Mayor of Karachi and the Chief Secretary, and Saeed Ghani also visited the site,” he said.

The chief minister termed the incident deeply tragic and regretted that some individuals were using it for political point-scoring.

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Recalling past such incidents, Murad Ali Shah said that after the Bolton Market tragedy in Karachi, President Asif Ali Zardari had personally arranged federal assistance, and financial compensation was provided to the affected people.

He said that similar assistance was extended after a fire incident at the Timber Market and would be provided again in the present case.

He said that small traders had suffered losses in the Gul Plaza fire and assured that transparent investigations would be conducted and their losses would be compensated.

Meanwhile, traders showed concern over ineffective firefighting efforts, Dunya News reported.

Traders blamed the government for inaction, which caused casualties and losses worth billions of rupees. They demanded compensation and effective measures to prevent such incidents in future.

The blaze took place in the ground and first floors of Gul Plaza on Jinnah Road. Initial report suggested that five people had lost their lives after suffocation and stampede. It is also feared that the building could collapse as faging fire damaged the basic structure.

Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar have taken notice of the plaza fire and issued directives for route clearance to reach out to the fire site by the firefighters and Rescue 1122 to douse the inferno at the earliest.

Read More: President, PM express deep sorrow over Gul Plaza fire incident

More than 12 fire vehicles took part in the operation to control the fire. According to rescue officials, three of the dead have been identified as Aamir, Asif and Faraz.

The injured have been shifted to hospital, with reports that many of them are precarious condition.

Fire brigade officials said the intensity of the fire is continuously increasing, adding the fire has engulfed several more shops, efforts are underway to control the fire with the help of 14 vehicles, while people are being evacuated from the plaza.

Rescue officials said that there were reports of several people being trapped in the shopping plaza.

The fire also engulfed the shops on the ground and first floors. Many people in the plaza took shelter on the roof. The number of shops in the shopping plaza is more than 1,000.

INEFFECTIVE OPERATION RILE TRADERS

Talking to the media, the president of the traders association, Tanvir Pasta, said nearly 80 and 100 people are believed to be trapped inside the building after the deadly fire.

All customers exited the building, but staff and shopkeepers were still thought to be inside, said Pasta, adding that the building houses 1,200 shops and the fire has caused losses worth billions of rupees.

The traders’ leader criticised the response from senior government officials, saying neither the chief minister nor the mayor of Karachi contacted the traders. "Only Governor Sindh has come so far, no one else," he said.

He claimed that no rescue personnel had yet entered the building, and that fire continues to burn on three sides of the structure.

The fire reportedly started in a shop selling artificial flowers located at the ground floor, he added.

SORROW OVER LOSS OF LIFE

Mayor of Karachi Barrister Murtaza Wahab expressed deep sorrow and regret over the loss of life due to fire in Gul Plaza and said that he stands with the grieving families in this difficult time.

He said that fire brigade and rescue teams are present at the scene, and relief operations are underway. He directed all departments of the Greater Municipality to remain alert and provide all possible assistance to the victims.

DANGEROUS CRACKS IN BUILDING

COO Sindh Emergency Service Rescue 1122 Dr Abid Jalaluddin Shaikh said 20 fire tenders and four snorkel vehicles are currently engaged in the operation, adding that firefighting foam is also being used to control the flames.

He added that a portion of the building’s rear side has collapsed, increasing the risk for both trapped individuals and rescue workers.

The presence of air conditioning shops in the building is creating additional challenges for firefighters, he said.

The fire started at around 10:15 pm, according to the chief fire officer.

The emergency call was received by Rescue 1122 at 10:38 pm, after which fire and rescue teams rushed to the scene, according to the official.

The blaze quickly spread inside the old building because of certain flammable material stored there, he said, confirming that due to the intense heat, a pillar of the building collapsed, raising fears that more parts of the structure could cave in.

Rescue authorities said the fire was classified as a third-degree blaze, meaning it was very difficult to control.

TRAFFIC CHAOS

Authorities have closed the MA Jinnah Road to regular traffic between Anklesaria Chowk and Central Plaza whilst emergency operations continue.

Traffic is being diverted from Tibet Chowk towards Jubilee, according to Karachi Traffic Police.