Gul Plaza fire probe finds blaze started in flower shop, spread via AC ducts

KARACHI:

The final investigation report on the Gul Plaza fire, which killed 79 people, has been prepared by a committee comprising the Karachi Commissioner Syed Hasan Naqvi and the Additional Inspector General Javed Alam Odho, officials said on Wednesday.

The report, which will be submitted to the Chief Minister of Sindh, Murad Ali Shah, includes details on the cause of the fire, firefighting and rescue operations, and statements from victims, eyewitnesses, and emergency personnel.

According to the report, the fire broke out at 10:15pm in a flower shop on the ground floor, where children were present. It spread rapidly through air-conditioning ducts, with most fatalities occurring on the mezzanine floor.

The first Fire Brigade alert was received at 10:26pm, and the first fire tender arrived at 10:37pm. The Deputy Commissioner, South Javed Nabi Khoso, reached the scene at 10:30 pm, while Rescue 1122 personnel arrived at 10:53 pm.

Separately, a joint investigation is underway between the Sindh Police forensic unit and Punjab’s Urban Search and Rescue Force (USAR).

Experts are using ARSEN technology to collect samples from parts of the building that were preserved from the fire.

Read: FIR lodged over deadly Gul Plaza fire; structural safety review underway

Officials said the investigation will determine the fire’s point of origin, the cause of ignition, and the reasons for its rapid spread in the large building.

Technical team from Lahore visited Gul Plaza

A technical team from Lahore visited Gul Plaza to conduct investigations. Police and district administration officials accompanied the investigative team, which included forensic experts, during inspections of various locations within the plaza.

Marking was carried out at locations where the search process had been completed, the urban search team said. The letter "H" was marked at various points, indicating danger and the risk of the building collapsing, according to the team.

Read more: Gul Plaza fire death toll rises to 73, with 23 victims identified so far

Political disputes

Political tensions in Karachi have deepened after wall chalking appeared across several neighbourhoods calling for the city to be placed under federal or military control, following the deadly Gul Plaza fire and a sharp war of words between the MQM-P and the ruling PPP in Sindh.

Slogans reading “Karachi ko wafaq ke hawalay karo” (Hand Karachi over to the federation) and “Karachi ko fauj ke hawalay karo” (Hand Karachi over to the military) were seen in areas including Liaquatabad, North Nazimabad and Haidery Market.

The messages were reportedly written by unidentified individuals late on Monday night and into the early hours of Tuesday. Videos of the wall chalking circulated widely on social media.

Also read: Karachi walls call for federal, military control as tensions rise after Gul Plaza fire

One of the survivors of the Gul Plaza fire said she was grateful to have escaped but noted that similar tragedies had happened before. “I thank God I was lucky enough to escape the fire, but this is not the first time this has happened – Baldia factory fire, Bolton Market, Cooperative Market, RJ Mall,” she said.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, she questioned the lack of accountability. “Tell me who was held accountable in earlier cases, and even now. What will the federal government do if Karachi is handed over to them?” she said. “Karachi and its people have always been on their own for help (apni madad app). I think it is better to make Karachi independent and give it provincial status.”