KARACHI: In a harrowing development, at least 30 bodies were recovered from a gutted shop as rescuers combed through the wreckage of Karachi’s Gul Plaza on Wednesday.
Karachi South Deputy Inspector General Syed Asad Raza told media that the remains of 30 humans had been recovered from a shop called “Dubai Crockery” located on the mezzanine floor.
He said that earlier in the day, rescue workers had recovered three more bodies, which had taken the toll from 28 to 31. He added that with the discovery of the bodies from the gutted shop, the death toll was estimated to have risen to 61.
However, he cautioned that a final conclusion about the death toll could only be reached after receiving the DNA reports.
He said that the relatives of those missing as well as the shopkeepers had previously indicated the possibility of there being a large number of people at the shop.
Raza said that as per the last contact with the victims, they had believed they would be safe and the fire would be controlled but had suffocated to death while waiting.
Regarding the visit of a bomb disposal squad to the scene of the fire, the South police chief said that so far no evidence of mischief had emerged during the initial investigation.
A resident of the area, Rasheed, told media that the shop had announced a sale for the wedding season. For this purpose, it had decided to stay open till 2am, even though it usually closed at 10pm.
The fire had erupted at the Gul Plaza on Saturday night. While the fire at the mall located on MA Jinnah Road was said to be doused after more than 24 hours on Sunday, firefighting efforts had to resume on Monday as flames reignited from the smouldering debris.
The plaza, parts of which collapsed due to the blaze, was a ground-plus-three-storey building with 1,200 shops spread over 8,000 square yards.
Inquiry committee visits gutted plaza
Karachi Commissioner Syed Hassan Naqvi, the convener of an inquiry committee formed by the Sindh government to probe the circumstances of the fire, visited the gutted plaza. Karachi Additional Inspector General Azad Khan, who is also a member of the committee, accompanied the commissioner.
Speaking to the media, the Karachi commissioner said the inquiry had just begun. He highlighted the building’s condition, saying the Rimpa Plaza, located adjacent to the plaza, had also been affected. However, he said that Rimpa Plaza had not yet been declared dangerous.
Naqvi lamented that the fire safety measures inside the buildings did not adhere to international standards.
The additional Karachi IG, meanwhile, said that no evidence of sabotage had emerged so far.
“We are investigating the incident thoroughly,” he said. He refuted media reports that two dumper trucks transporting debris from the plaza to KMC ground had disappeared.
KMC’s Zafar Khan also spoke to the media, saying the firefighting team was still working on the plaza despite the presence of “extreme heat” while cooling work was also ongoing on two spots.
He said one portion of the building had been cleared while two other portions were in the process of being cleared.
“We will try to retrieve the bodies buried under the debris,” he vowed, adding that firemen were being sent to the spots where the building’s structure was still stable.
He also refuted claims alleging that the fire brigade had a delayed response to the fire. He said three fire tenders were sent as soon as information was recieved about the fire on Saturday night.
He further added that shopkeepers had created a chaos-like situation and were allegedly snatching pipes from firefighters to extinguish the flames at their own shops.
He said that the door leading to the buildin’s roof was locked, therefore, people were unable to access it. He said that the market was meant to be closing when the fire erupted which was why all the exits were closed.
Rimpa Plaza affected due to blaze
According to the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA), a part of the structure of Rimpa Plaza — another shopping mall adjacent to Gul Plaza — has also been affected due to continued exposure to heat and fire.
SBCA Director General Muzammil Halepota told media that three floors of the 13-storey building had been affected, and a SBCA technical committee had visited the site on Tuesday.
They found that two pillars had been weakened and the SBCA suggested jacketing to strengthen the pillars by adding a layer of steel supports around them.
“An SBCA team has started the process,” Halepota said, adding that a notice had also been issued to the owners of Rimpa Plaza regarding the pillars’ repair.
Karachi Commissioner Syed Hassan Naqvi also visited Gul Plaza. Speaking to the media at the site, he said the inquiry into the incident was a complicated one as it had multiple angles.
He said the matter would have to be probed from all angles, and the inquiry committee would try to make “long-term and far-reaching recommendations” to the government.
Tessori meets delegation of traders
Separately, Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori met a delegation led by Gul Plaza President Tanveer Pasta and Karachi Chamber of Commerce’s Javed Balwani.
A statement issued by the governor’s office said Pasta appreciated Tessori’s efforts for the “timely rescue operation and effective measures” after the fire erupted at Gul Plaza and thanked him for “raising his voice for the victims” of the tragedy at every forum.
“During the meeting, Tanveer Pasta agreed, in principle, with the recommendations of the Sindh governor and Karachi Chamber of Commerce,” the statement said, without elaborating on the said recommendations.
All Gul Plaza records available, SBCA maintains
The SBCA, a day earlier, had rejected reports that the building records for the shopping mall were not available, deeming them “baseless and contrary to facts”.
“The impression being given that the records of Gul Plaza are not available with the SBCA is incorrect,” the authority said in a statement. It said that all approved records related to Gul Plaza, including sanctioned plans, completion plans, and construction details, were “preserved and available with the authority”.
According to the SCBA, the building was originally constructed in 1979, while a revised plan was approved in 1998.
“Thereafter, under the Regularisation Amendment Ordinance 2001, the project was duly regularised in 2003 in accordance with the prescribed rules and regulations,” SCBA said.
“A revised no-objection certificate (NOC) for sale and advertisement was issued in 2005, under which approval was granted for 175 shops in the basement, 355 shops on the ground floor, 188 shops on the first floor, 193 shops on the second floor, and 191 shops on the third floor, making a total of 1,102 approved shops.”
The SCBA added that the building had two staircases from the basement to the ground floor, six staircases from the ground floor to the first floor, five staircases from the second floor to the third floor, and 16 exit routes on the ground floor for emergencies.
It is worth noting that South DIG Asad Raza told media that out of the 16 exits, 14 were closed at the time of the fire.
“The SBCA clarifies that it completely rejects any notion of concealing facts or disappearance of records,” the statement read, maintaining that all legal and technical records related to Gul Plaza were available with the body.
“The SBCA believes in full cooperation and transparent investigations, and a fact-based report will be presented to determine responsibility,” the statement added.
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