- Final report to be presented to Sindh CM.
- Fire erupted around 10:15pm on Jan 17.
- Rescue teams, fire brigade responded “promptly”.
KARACHI: Karachi’s Commissioner Syed Hassan Naqvi has finalised the investigative report on the devastating Gul Plaza fire, which will be submitted to Sindh Chief Minister Muard Ali Shah, which revealed that 79 lives were lost in the tragedy, sources told Geo News.
The committee, comprising the commissioner and Additional IG, compiled the report, the sources said on Wednesday.
Karachi’s largest fire in more than a decade broke out on January 17 and quickly spread through the sprawling shopping complex, famous for its 1,200 family-owned stores selling wedding clothes, toys, crockery, and other goods.
According to sources, the report details the causes of the fire, actions taken by the fire brigade, rescue operations, and relief efforts. It also incorporates information from victims, eyewitnesses, and rescue officials.
The blaze broke out at 10:15pm on January 17, with the fire brigade informed at 10:26pm. The first fire tender arrived on the scene within 11 minutes, at 10:37pm, while the Deputy Commissioner South reached at 10:30pm and Rescue 1122 personnel arrived at 10:53pm.
Investigators found that the fire originated at a flowershop on the ground floor, caused by a child, and spread rapidly through air-conditioning (AC) ducts to other parts of the building. The tragic incident claimed 79 lives, with the majority of fatalities occurring on the mezzanine floor.
Meanwhile, the search operation of the deadly shopping centre fire culminated after 10 days of arduous rescue and relief efforts, and the scorched shopping centre was sealed on Tuesday.
A first information report (FIR) was later registered at the Nabi Bux Police Station with provisions relating to negligence and carelessness.
Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar said that there were concerns of sabotage or terrorism, but the matter was not clear, and anti-terror provisions would be added in the FIR if there was sufficient evidence.
Sindh CM Shah has also announced plans to rebuild shops on the site within two years, saying the remaining part of Gul Plaza would be demolished.
