Muhammad Imran, 56, a service shop owner who survived, looks on after a massive fire broke out at Gul Plaza Shopping Mall in Karachi on January 23. Photo: Reuters
KARACHI:
The final inquiry report into the Gul Plaza fire that killed 79 people has been prepared by a committee comprising Karachi Commissioner Syed Hasan Naqvi and Additional Inspector General Javed Alam Odho, officials said on Wednesday.
The report, which will be sent to the Chief Minister of Sindh, Murad Ali Shah, contains details of the cause of the fire, firefighting and rescue operations and statements of victims, eyewitnesses and emergency personnel.
According to the report, the fire broke out at 10.15pm in a flower shop on the ground floor where children were present. It spread rapidly through air conditioning ducts, with most deaths occurring on the mezzanine.
The first alarm from the fire department was received at 10:26 p.m., and the first firefighter arrived at 10:37 p.m. The Deputy Commissioner, South Javed Nabi Khoso, reached the spot at 22.30, while Redning’s 1122 staff arrived at 22.53.
Separately, a joint investigation is underway between Sindh Police’s forensic unit and Punjab’s Urban Search and Rescue Force (USAR).
Experts are using ARSEN technology to collect samples from parts of the building that were preserved from the fire.
Read: FIR filed over deadly Gul Plaza fire; structural safety review underway
Officials said the investigation will determine the fire’s place of origin, the cause of ignition and the reasons for its rapid spread in the large building.
Technical team from Lahore visited Gul Plaza
A technical team from Lahore visited Gul Plaza to conduct investigations. Officials from the police and district administration accompanied the investigation team, which included forensic experts, during inspections of various places in the square.
Tagging was carried out at places where the search process had been completed, the city search team said. The letter “H” was marked at various points, indicating danger and risk of the building collapsing, according to the team.
Read more: The death toll in the Gul Plaza fire rises to 73, with 23 victims identified so far
Political disputes
Political tensions in Karachi have deepened after graffiti appeared in several neighborhoods calling for the city to be placed under federal or military control, following the deadly Gul Plaza fire and a sharp war of words between the MQM-P and the ruling PPP in Sindh.
Slogan’s reading “Karachi ko wafaq ke hawalay karo” (Surviving Karachi to the Federation) and “Karachi ko fauj ke hawalay karo” (Surviving Karachi to the Military) were seen in areas including Liaquatabad, North Nazimabad and Haidery Market.
The messages were allegedly written by unidentified people late Monday night and in the early hours of Tuesday. Videos of wall chalking circulated widely on social media.
Read also: Karachi’s walls demand federal, military control as tensions rise after Gul Plaza fire
One of the survivors of the Gul Plaza fire said she was grateful to have escaped, but noted that similar tragedies had happened before. “I thank God that I was lucky enough to escape the fire, but this is not the first time this has happened – Baldia factory fire, Bolton Market, Cooperative Market, RJ Mall,” she said.
speaks to Express Pakinomistshe questioned the lack of accountability. “Tell me who was held responsible in previous cases and even now. What will the federal government do if Karachi is handed over to them?” she said. “Karachi and its people have always been alone for help (apni madad app). I think it is better to make Karachi independent and give it provincial status.”
