<\/p>\n
A preliminary report prepared by the Fire Brigade Department has stated that there was \u201cno kind of public safety system\u201d in place at the commercial high-rise building in Karachi\u2019s Gulistan-i-Jauhar area which caught on fire over the weekend, it emerged on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
At least 11 people died while five others were injured after a blaze erupted inside the R.J. Shopping Mall at 6:20am on Saturday because of a suspected short circuit.<\/p>\n
The fire erupted on the fourth floor before spreading to other parts of the building. According to officials, the deaths occurred because the building had no ventilation. A police team was subsequently formed to investigate the fire.<\/p>\n
On Sunday, police had registered a first information report (FIR) of the fire at the Sharea Faisal police station. The case was registered on behalf of the state but no one was nominated in the FIR. Instead, the FIR stated that the \u201cconnivance\u201d of K-Electric (KE) and other institutions \u2014 which gave approval for the building\u2019s map \u2014 would be probed.<\/p>\n
A preliminary report prepared by the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation\u2019s Fire Brigade Department, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com<\/em>, said that emergency exit doors, exit signs, existing preventive mechanisms and emergency lighting or power backup were \u201cnot available\u201d in the ill-fated building.<\/p>\n \u201cNo kind of public safety system was available in R.J. Mall, including fire safety\/fighting equipment and emergency exits,\u201d the report said.<\/p>\n It added that the department did not receive timely information about the fire and the third and fourth floors were \u201cburning severely\u201d when the fire brigade reached the scene. It said that staff faced difficulty in firefighting operations due to the \u201cintense smoke\u201d, adding that the fire\u2019s cause could not be determined.<\/p>\n The report said that the employees of the offices located in the building were rescued by smashing through doors, adding that all 11 deaths occurred due to \u201csmoke inhalation and suffocation\u201d. The report said that the financial losses could not currently be estimated correctly.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab said the building was neither regularised nor under the domain of the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) but instead came under the Cantonment Board Faisal (CBF). Therefore, the cantonment board should have taken responsibility for putting the fire out, he said.<\/p>\n Talking to the media in Karachi, he said that instead of lauding the services of the fire brigade, it was admonished by officials. He also criticised the media reporting on the issue, asking why the SBCA was being highlighted for its inspection visit when the CBF should have done so.<\/p>\n \u201cAt least the issue should be identified. I repeatedly say that the multiple jurisdictions in our city are the biggest headache for the enforcement of law in our city,\u201d the mayor said, adding that there was a need to find an easy solution to the issue, \u201cotherwise, matters can not be solved in a sustainable manner.\u201d<\/p>\n Wahab further said: \u201cInstitutions should be proactive, not reactive in such matters. We should learn from any mistake and learn a lesson,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The mayor said the fire could have been prevented if safety measures such as sprinklers had been in place and citizens could have made a timely escape if fire safety exits had been added.<\/p>\n Wahab emphasised he wanted to work together with all institutions to move forward to serve the people, adding that criticism alone would not solve anything.<\/p>\n The mayor said that 432 buildings were declared unsafe by the SBCA but people did not evacuate them despite the structures being dangerous. He said these issues needed to be resolved.<\/p>\nMayor says cantt board should have put out fire<\/h2>\n