SBCA cracks down on fire safety in Karachi commercial centres after Gul Plaza blaze
Preliminary findings suggest that gas had leaked and accumulated inside a closed room, creating a combustible environment. PHOTO: PIXABAY
The Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) on Tuesday moved to tighten fire safety compliance across Karachi, issuing notices to all commercial centres and making functional fire-fighting equipment mandatory in the aftermath of the deadly Gul Plaza fire.
SBCA Additional Director General Farhan Qaiser told The Express News that the authority had begun issuing notices to all small and large commercial centres in Karachi.
“Fire safety systems must be in place. Fire-fighting equipment must be installed within three days; otherwise, these commercial centres will be sealed,” he said, adding that district officials had been instructed to strictly enforce the directives and failure to comply would result in the sealing of premises.
He said the authority has directed all centres to submit reports confirming the availability of fire safety systems on their premises. Buildings lacking such systems have been instructed to install the required equipment immediately.
Read: Gul Plaza fire toll rises to 28 as DNA testing begins to identify victims
The move follows the catastrophic third-degree fire that engulfed Gul Plaza on Saturday night, killing at least 28 people, injuring dozens and leaving more than 75 missing.
The sprawling commercial complex, originally approved for 500 shops, eventually housed nearly 1,400 establishments, employing around 7,500 workers and receiving a daily footfall of up to 100,000 visitors. Basic fire safety equipment, officials said, was virtually non-existent.
More than 1,000 shops were destroyed in the blaze, with the economic losses estimated at Rs2 to Rs2.5 billion per shop and around Rs100b overall. Authorities say the human toll could rise further due to the high number of missing persons.
A letter has also been sent to the municipal administration, instructing it to implement fire safety audits conducted by the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation. Builders who have failed to put adequate safety measures in place have similarly been given three days to comply.
Authorities stressed that the enforcement drive was essential in the interest of public safety.
Commenting on the matter, Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab said in a post on X that fire safety audits were conducted today at six buildings in the South and East districts.
He urged building owners to ensure proper fire safety arrangements in their premises.
Based on KMC’s fire safety audit of various buildings, SBCA has started to take action. Letter with a list of non compliant buildings has been sent to ABAD. Today visit of 6 buildings in Districts East & South is also being undertaken pic.twitter.com/Y0hx5IdywM