Ghakkar fire victims remembered

RAWALPINDI: The Punjab Emergency Service — Rescue 1122 on Friday commemorated the sacrifices of 13 firefighters, who lost their lives during the Ghakkar Plaza fire 11 years ago on December 20, 2008.

Of the 13 firefighters who had lost their lives in that operation, four of them belonged to Rescue 1122, one was from the Rawalpindi Municipal Fire Brigade, six were from the Pakistan Ordnance Factory (POF) in Wah Cant and two were from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

During the ceremony at the Rescue 1122 - Central Station at Chandni Chowk, special prayers were offered for the departed souls. Rawalpindi District Emergency Officer Dr Abdur Rahman, Rescue 1122 Emergency Operations Officer Ali Hussain, Rescue 1122 USAR Emergency Officer Hamza, Rescue and Safety Officer Azra Shahid and a large number of rescuers paid tribute to the fallen heroes.

Rahman said that the day will be remembered as the 9/11 for firefighters of Pakistan.

“We shall always remember the sacrifices of the heroes of Pakistan and cannot offer more precious lives because of absent fire safety standards in high-rise buildings,” he said, adding that “it is time to implement the National Fire Safety Codes notified by the Pakistan Engineering Council and formally launched by President of Pakistan.”

Published in The Express Tribune, December 21^st, 2019.