Fire Incident
On Tuesday, a fire erupted in Rimpa Plaza on M.A. Jinnah Road, Karachi. The fire originated on the fourth floor of the building, which houses warehouses for spare parts, offices, shops, and a clinic. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Rescue Operations
Initial Response: Rescue 1122 and Karachi’s fire brigade sent four fire tenders, two ambulances, and a snorkel to manage the fire.
Challenges:
The teams faced an issue while evacuating smoke as the building did not have proper ventilation.
Traffic Disruption:
M.A. Jinnah Road was closed near Saeed Manzil and traffic was diverted through Regal Chowk and Gul Plaza for smooth rescue work.
- Government and Authorities’ Activities
- Chief Minister’s Notice:
- Orders issued to douse flames at the earliest and tasked the Sindh Building Control Authority to conduct inspections over all commercial buildings to not allow such incidents to occur.
- Report Sought :
- Karachi Commissioner Syed Hassan Naqvi has been assigned the task of submitting the detailed report on the situation.
- Fire Safety Concern is an Ongoing Issue
- Fire safety compliance remains a significant issue in Karachi. Earlier this year, a KMC audit found that none of the 265 inspected commercial buildings had valid fire safety certifications. Over 155 lacked fire alarms and smoke detectors, while more than 200 had inadequate firefighting equipment.
- Recent incidents include fires at:
- A hotel on Sharea Faisal, extinguished last month.
- A warehouse in Model Colony after a gas cylinder explosion.
Court Orders
Following recurring fire incidents, the SHC ordered provincial authorities to check safety measures in shopping malls and commercial buildings. This was after a deadly fire at the R.J. Shopping Mall on Rashid Minhas Road last year, which claimed 11 lives.
While the Rimpa Plaza fire was brought under control with no casualties, the incident underscores Karachi’s dire need for stricter enforcement of fire safety regulations to protect lives and property.
