KARACHI: The Sindh Education Department has issued fire safety guidelines for private schools across the province following the Gul Plaza tragedy.
The school education department has, in a notification on Tuesday, ordered immediate implementation of the instructions in all private educational institutions.
The guidelines make it mandatory to install fire alarms, smoke detectors and fire extinguishers. Schools have also been required to keep emergency exits and stairs open and clearly marked.
The directive states that regular inspections of electrical installations in schools will be mandatory. Schools have also been ordered to display emergency evacuation plans in prominent places.
According to the issued instructions, it is mandatory to carry out fire drills at least twice a year. Fire safety training for teachers and staff has also been declared mandatory.
The guidelines further require schools to ensure special safety arrangements for students with special needs. The determination of a meeting place has also been made mandatory.
The Sindh Education Department said that strict action will be taken against schools that do not comply with the instructions.
A huge blaze gutted Gul Plaz on the night of January 17, reducing the landmark mall – a multi-storey complex of 1,200 family-run shops selling children’s clothing, toys, tableware and household goods – to ashes. More than 70 bodies have been recovered and a search is underway to find more.
