Fire in plaza on MA Jinnah Road
A fire broke out in Rimpa Plaza on MA Jinnah Road, destroying tyres, mattresses, auto parts and leather goods worth millions of rupees. Firefighters took about four hours to douse the flames.
According to the details, several warehouses and valuable goods were burnt to ashes in the fire at Rimpa Plaza. The fire broke out on the third floor, which intensified and the flames reached the fourth and fifth floors. People trapped in the building were rescued. The rescue teams faced difficulties in the operation due to heavy flow of traffic on MA Jinnah Road.
Firefighters mentioned with concern that operation was delayed due to non-availability of water. Two fire tenders of the Pakistan Navy, a bowser with crew joined the operation. The reason of the fire could not be known immediately.
City experiences traffic jams
The Old City areas encountered a severe traffic jam on Tuesday due to the fire incident on MA Jinnah Road and a protest demonstration held by the Sindh Blind Action Committee outside the Karachi Press Club.
The traffic police failed miserably to ensure the flow of traffic on alternative routes, due to which the citizens spent hours to reach their destinations. Long queues of vehicles were formed from I.I. Chundrigar Road to Shaheen Complex, Abdullah Haroon Road, Fountain Roundabout (Fawara Chowk), Metropole, Arts Council Chowk, Saddar, Regal Chowk and MA Jinnah Road and adjacent areas.
Citizens going home from work in the evening hours had to face a very nerve-wracking situation. The citizens strongly criticised the traffic police officers, saying that due to the closure of roads for various reasons, they face hardship and difficulty in commuting. Traffic police are seen issuing challans to citizens in droves at different places in the city, but seldom show interest in controlling the flow of traffic, leading to traffic jams. Time and fuel are wasted for no fault of commuters.
The citizens have demanded of Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar issue instructions to the traffic police to ensure swift flow of traffic to the alternative routes, especially in the evening hours and during any protest in the city.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has taken notice of a fire that erupted at Rampa Plaza in Saddar and directed Commissioner Karachi Hassan Naqvi to submit a detailed report.
He emphasized the need for immediate measures to extinguish the fire at the busy commercial area in Karachi. He instructed all relevant authorities, including the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA), to conduct thorough inspections of buildings across the city.
The Commissioner Karachi told the CM that the Sindh Rescue 1122 and fire brigade teams are actively engaged in firefighting efforts, utilizing six fire tenders and a snorkel to control the blaze.