Rescue delays in the dock

Gul Plaza association chief blames slow response, poor equipment for deadly blaze

KARACHI:

The president of the Gul Plaza Association has held rescue agencies responsible for the heavy loss of life in the devastating fire at Gul Plaza, citing delayed response and lack of essential equipment. In a written reply submitted to the judicial commission probing the tragedy, association president Tanveer Pasta said inadequate firefighting resources and slow rescue operations allowed the blaze to spiral out of control, leaving dozens dead.

Tanveer Pasta said the fire brigade lacked water and essential equipment at the crucial early stage of the blaze. Responding to a 45-question questionnaire issued by the commission, Pasta revealed that the first fire brigade vehicle reached the site at 10:55pm, but the fire tender ran out of water within 20 minutes. Two additional fire tenders arrived around 11:30pm, by which time the fire had already spread across three sides of the building's ground floor.

He stated that rescue personnel lacked proper equipment, masks and protective gear. As a result, firefighters were unable to enter the building during the initial hours to evacuate trapped people. The firefighters also did not have foam or chemical agents required to control such fires.

According to the reply, the market administration arranged private water tankers on a self-help basis, while tankers from the water corporation were provided only after dawn prayers (Fajr). Rescue operations remained slow in the early hours, and meaningful relief efforts began only after Fajr, when the fire had already intensified.

Information about the locations of trapped individuals was received from inside the building, and some people were rescued through self-help efforts. However, due to the lack of adequate rescue facilities, several individuals could not be saved.

Because electricity had been cut off, public announcements could not be made through the usual system. Instead, the market administration and shopkeepers shouted warnings to guide people towards exits.

The association president said the ineffective response of rescue agencies further worsened the situation.

At the time of the incident, around 3,500 people were present inside the building. Most of them managed to evacuate safely. All 16 exits of Gul Plaza were reportedly open, and thousands of people escaped through these routes.