- Notices issued to the square’s management, shop owners.
- KMC begins fire safety audits across Karachi buildings.
- Abad called for resolving fire safety issues within 3 days.
The Sindh Building Control Authority has declared Rimpa Plaza “unsafe” following the deadly Gul Plaza fire, citing structural damage caused by debris from the adjacent building, while rescue operations continue in the area.
The rubble from Gul Plaza has affected the pillars of Rimpa Plaza,” the provincial building control authority said in its release, adding that notices have been issued to the plaza’s management and shopkeepers in Karachi.
The development comes as the death toll from the devastating Gul Plaza fire rose to 28 on Tuesday. Rescue teams remain engaged in searching the smoldering structure of the gutted mall as 81 people are still missing.
The port city’s biggest fire in over ten years started late on Saturday at Gul Plaza, which houses 1,200 shops in a multi-storey complex spread over an area larger than a football field.
The fire in Karachi’s historic center raged for more than 24 hours before it was put out.
“It has been observed that due to an unfortunate fire incident at Gul Plaza, several parts of the said structure have collapsed. During this incident, a part of the collapsed structure fell on the ramp area of the said building, resulting in damage to its structural columns,” the statement read.
It added that upon inspection, the affected part of Rimpa Plaza’s structure has been found to be unsafe and dangerous, posing a serious threat to human life and property.
The SBCA ordered the site’s management to immediately stop using the damaged and dangerous part of the structure.
It directed that all unsafe structural elements of Rimpa Plaza be removed, with necessary repair and strengthening works carried out strictly under the supervision of a qualified structural engineer in accordance with applicable building laws and regulations.
The authority emphasized that no part of the affected building may be used or inhabited until it is officially declared safe.
The SBCA warned that failure to comply with these instructions would result in legal proceedings under the Sindh Building Control Ordinance, 1979, without further notice.
Karachi Mayor visits Gul Plaza
Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab visited Gul Plaza late on Tuesday night to inspect the ongoing search and rescue operations to locate dozens of missing persons.
Speaking to reporters, Wahab said that two-thirds of the building has been cleared and no additional bodies have been found so far.
He added that rescue teams are carefully drilling and removing debris in areas where parts of Gul Plaza’s structure have collapsed, opening the possibility of finding more bodies.
He also confirmed that authorities have received reports of 81 missing persons.
The mayor said the exact number of identified bodies and confirmed deaths would be announced Wednesday morning as the process of identifying the bodies is underway.
Earlier, police surgeon Dr. Summiya Syed Pakinomist news that 28 bodies have been brought to the Civil Hospital so far and samples of 50 families have been received for DNA profiling and cross-matching.
Rescue sources said three bodies present at the Edhi mortuary have been identified, taking the number of bodies identified to 11.
Most recently identified are Muhammad Shehroz, Muhammad Rizwan and Maryam.
Wahab also mentioned the commencement of fire safety audits of the buildings in the mega city by the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC).
He said the authorities have started correspondence with the Association of Builders and Developers of Pakistan (Abad) regarding owners and builders who have not complied with the requirements of fire safety regulations.
A copy of the letter sent to the builder’s association was also shared on Wahab’s Facebook account, urging Abad members to address the fire safety deficiencies identified in the audit reports within three days.
