'We could have saved more lives if equipped properly'

KARACHI:

In a dramatic testimony before the Judicial Commission, rescue driver Danyal Noor described the delayed and chaotic response to the devastating Gul Plaza fire, revealing a lack of safety equipment and insufficient firefighting measures that hampered rescue efforts.

Danyal told the commission that the rescue operation at Gul Plaza was significantly delayed. "I arrived at 10:40 pm. People were lighting lamps and calling for help," he recounted. He, along with his colleague Danish, set up ladders to evacuate trapped individuals. "One ladder was with Danish, one with me. A fire brigade vehicle arrived, but they only sprayed water. There were no masks or safety gear," he said, adding that he fell from the third floor while rescuing victims.

"The smoke was thick, black and white in colour. The roof was cluttered with motorcycles and vehicles. The heat was intense. We broke a window to rescue people. If we had proper masks and equipment, we could have gone inside and saved many more."

Danyal detailed that he personally rescued seven people through windows and repeatedly climbed to the roof to evacuate others.