The death toll from the fire that ripped through a multi-storey commercial-cum-residential building located near Ayesha Manzil in Karachi’s Federal B Area a day earlier has increased to five, police said on Thursday.
Late on Wednesday evening, 12 fire engines, two snorkels and two bowsers brought under control the fire that erupted in the six-storey building after several hours of hectic efforts. Officials had said three people were killed and two sustained burn injuries in the blaze.
Witnesses had said the fire erupted in a mattress shop located at the front of the building and then later spread throughout the structure.
Immediately after the incident, caretaker Sindh Chief Minister retired Justice Maqbool Baqar ordered a probe.
Yesterday’s blaze was the second incident of fire in under a fortnight. On Nov 25, a fire that erupted in a six-storey building on Rashid Minhas Road claimed 11 lives.
Speaking to Dawn.com today, Central Senior Superintendent of Police Faisal Abdullah Chachar said the death toll from the Ayesha Manzil fire had increased to five. The deceased persons were aged between 20 and 40 years.
He added that a first information report of the incident had not yet been registered. Footage aired on television in the morning showed the charred building covered in soot.
Sindh CM says shelters, food provided to affected residents
Meanwhile, the caretaker Sindh CM vowed to ensure speedy and detailed inspection of building across Karachi. Speaking to media persons at the fire site, he said relevant action would be taken once the inquiry report of yesterday’s fire was issued.
“We are standing with the victims in their pain and will try to comfort them in every possible way,” Baqar said, adding that residents of the building wanted to inspect their houses but they were stopped by the authorities.
The building, he continued, has been sealed for structure inspection by the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA). “We will allow residents to check their houses once the inspection is complete,” CM Baqar said.
He added that the district administration had offered shelters and food to all the affected people.
Elaborating on measures to prevent similar incidents in the future, the chief minister said strict implementation of building rules and codes would be made mandatory among other actions.
The chief minister had also held the SBCA responsible for the fire. “Had the SBCA implemented all the building codes such a huge fire would not have claimed innocent lives and gutted 74 apartments and 130 shops,” he deplored.
“Every building must be equipped with a fire safety system and fire tender route, but I am sorry to say that all these important safety measures have been ignored,” he said.
He said he had already ordered safety and security audits of public and private buildings so that such incidents could be avoided, adding that he would ensure the safety of all “important buildings” to overcome any shortcomings.
He said residents of the building would only be allowed to visit their apartment unit one-by-one to secure any remaining household items and lock their homes.
Who will compensate for losses, asks MQM-P
Earlier, in a visit to the fire site, Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) convener Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui held the PPP responsible for the incident.
“Who should the people of Karachi blame for those who were killed and burned?” he asked. “The public need to know those who are responsible for turning this city into a jungle.”
Siddiqui stated that Karachi had seen several of its people being killed on the streets. He demanded that the caretaker chief minister should come forth and show “how much power does he have”.
MQM-P’s Dr Farooq Sattar lamented the absence of officials at the building, saying that there was no one present who could comfort the bereaved families.
“Who will compensate these people? Who will bring back their homes and shops? These are all questions that need to be answered […] for God sake please listen to our voices,” he added.
