Only one out of over 160 high rise buildings in Rawalpindi district of Pakistan’s Punjab province complies with the government’s fire safety regulations, as per local media. Following the tragic fire incident at Karachi’s Gul Plaza mall that claimed 71 lives, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has ordered a survey and installation of fire hydrants in high rise buildings. The sole high rise building meeting the safety criteria includes fire hydrants, emergency exits, fire alarms, detection and sprinkling systems, and a dedicated team for swift evacuations in emergencies, according to reports.
District Emergency Officer (DEO) Rescue 1122 Rawalpindi Sibghat Ullah, in an interview with Dawn, mentioned that Rawalpindi station has 19 fire vehicles and over 300 trained firefighters prepared to handle any emergency. He emphasized that buildings must adhere to safety regulations, including having exit stairs, external fire hydrants, fire extinguishers, encroachment-free areas, detection and alarm systems, internal hydrants, sprinklers, and conducting fire drills. Notably, 127 buildings failing to meet safety standards have received initial notices to comply.
Among the non-compliant buildings, 82 have been issued second notices, while the remaining 16 have received third notices based on their adherence to safety requirements. Recommendations have been made to seal buildings that persistently ignore safety regulations after the third notice. Meanwhile, the death toll from the Gul Plaza fire incident in Karachi has reached 71, with rescue teams continuing search operations and expecting completion by late Friday, as reported by The Express Tribune.
In-charge of the identification desk at the Citizens-Police Liaison Committee (CPLC), Amir Hassan, revealed that human remains have been discovered, potentially belonging to four individuals, raising the death toll. Deputy Commissioner South, Javed Nabi Khoso, stated that 77 individuals remain missing, with search operations nearing completion by Friday night. The rescue efforts in the shopping mall have persisted for the seventh consecutive day, following the major fire that broke out on January 17 in Karachi’s Gul Plaza shopping complex.
