KARACHI: The devastating Gul Plaza hearth has raised critical questions concerning the effectiveness and preparedness of firefighting, rescue, and Civil Protection departments in Karachi.
The lethal inferno, which broke out on the evening of January 17, took almost two days to be totally extinguished, claiming at the very least 73 lives and destroying greater than 1,100 retailers.
Within the aftermath of the tragedy, the Sindh authorities suspended the Director Civil Protection and the Extra Controller Civil Protection, District South. Nonetheless, the situation of the Civil Protection Division’s personal constructing, situated on land price tens of millions of rupees, tells a troubling story.
The Civil Protection workplace, situated simply 500 meters from Gul Plaza—a five-minute stroll from the incident website—seems largely deserted and dysfunctional.
A number of workplaces throughout the constructing had been discovered locked, with no correct administrative presence. In line with accessible data, solely eight workers members are at present working in your entire constructing.
Throughout a go to by ARY Information, Civil Protection workers displayed apathy and an absence of cooperation. In a single workplace assigned to a feminine officer, solely a chair and a desk positioned on stacked bricks had been discovered, highlighting the neglect and poor situation of the premises.
The workers additionally failed to offer passable explanations relating to their presence or function on the day of the Gul Plaza hearth.
The reporter famous a powerful foul scent contained in the constructing, apparently brought on by amassed waste and damp. A number of rooms had been present in a dilapidated situation, with burnt and unrepaired electrical wiring nonetheless hanging after a earlier brief circuit.
The general situation of the constructing created an eerie ambiance, resembling a haunted home slightly than a functioning emergency providers workplace.
The findings increase critical issues concerning the operational capability of the Civil Protection Division, significantly in a metropolis vulnerable to frequent hearth incidents. Paradoxically, the Civil Protection constructing itself seems to be in pressing want of protection.
