- Notices issued to plaza management, store owners.
- KMC begins fire safety audits of all buildings in Karachi.
- Abad urged to solve the fire safety problems within 3 days.
The Sindh Building Control Authority has declared Rimpa Plaza “unsafe” following the deadly Gul Plaza fire, citing structural damage caused by debris from the adjacent building as rescue operations continue in the area.
Debris from Gul Plaza has affected the pillars of Rimpa Plaza, the provincial building control authority said in its notice, adding that notices have been issued to the plaza’s management and shop owners in Karachi.
The news comes as the death toll from the devastating Gul Plaza fire rose to 28 on Tuesday. Rescuers continue to search the smoldering structure of the destroyed shopping center as 81 people remain missing.
The port city’s biggest fire in more than a decade broke out on Saturday night at Gul Plaza, which houses 1,200 shops in a multi-story complex spread over an area larger than a football field.
The fire in the historic center of Karachi lasted more than 24 hours before being extinguished.
“It has been observed that due to an unfortunate fire incident at Gul Plaza, several parts of the said structure collapsed. During the course of this incident, a portion of the collapsed structure fell on the ramp area of the concerned building, resulting in damage to its structural columns,” the notice said.
He added that upon inspection, the affected portion of the Rimpa Plaza structure was found to be unsafe and dangerous, posing a serious threat to human life and property.
The SBCA ordered the plaza’s management to immediately stop use of the damaged and dangerous portion of the structure.
He ordered that all unsafe structural elements be removed from Rimpa Plaza, and that the necessary repair and strengthening works be carried out strictly under the supervision of a qualified structural engineer, in accordance with applicable building laws and regulations.
The authority emphasized that no part of the affected building may be used or occupied until it is officially declared safe.
The SBCA warned that failure to comply with these directions would lead to legal action under the Sindh Building Control Ordinance, 1979, without prior notice.
Relief operations continue as basement search continues
South Deputy Commissioner Javed Khoso visited Gul Plaza to review the relief operations. Speaking to the media at the scene of the fire, he said authorities are preserving all objects belonging to the victims.
He revealed that two dump trucks carrying debris went missing the previous day, but assured that the missing dump trucks would soon be located.
Meanwhile, fire officer Zafar Khan also provided an update on the search operation, confirming that the open basement area of the plaza has been searched.
“The basement is clear, no bodies were found,” said the firefighter.
However, he said the search for the collapsed section of the basement is still ongoing. The second and third floors of the building have also been cleared, he added.
Karachi Mayor visits Gul Plaza
Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab visited Gul Square on Tuesday night to inspect ongoing search and rescue activities to find dozens of missing people.
Speaking to reporters, Wahab said two-thirds of the building has been cleared and no more bodies have been recovered so far.
He added that rescue teams are carefully drilling and removing debris in areas where parts of the Gul Plaza structure have collapsed, leaving open the possibility of finding more bodies.
He also confirmed that authorities have received reports of 81 missing people.
The mayor said the exact number of identified bodies and confirmed deaths will be announced Wednesday morning as the process of identifying the bodies continues.
Earlier, police surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed said Geographic news that so far 28 bodies have been transferred to the Civil Hospital and samples from 50 families have been received for DNA profiling and cross-checking.
Rescue sources said three bodies present at the Edhi mortuary have been identified, taking the number of identified bodies to 11.
The latest to be identified are Muhammad Shehroz, Muhammad Rizwan and Maryam.
Wahab also mentioned the initiation of fire safety audits of the megacity’s buildings by the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC).
He said the authorities have initiated correspondence with the Association of Builders and Developers of Pakistan (Abad) regarding owners and builders who failed to comply with the requirements of the Fire Safety Rules.
A copy of the letter sent to the builders association, urging Abad members to address fire safety deficiencies identified in the audit reports within three days, was also shared on Wahab’s Facebook account.
