Karachi factory fire: Punjab govt to give Rs0.3m to victims

PML-N chief visits the factory, announces compensation money.

KARACHI: On behalf of the Punjab government, Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif has announced Rs300,000 for all those affected by the Karachi factory fire which killed more than 200 people, Express News reported on Friday.

During his visit to the factory in the Baldia Town area, the PML-N chief expressed sorrow over the loss of lives.

Sharif held the factory owners and the government responsible for the incident.

He also called for an immediate inquiry and said that the culprits should be punished for their acts.

Hundreds of workers were suffocated or burnt alive at the Ali Enterprises garment factory in Karachi, which made ready-to-wear clothing for Western export, when a massive fire tore through the building during the evening shift on September 11.

Up to 600 people were working inside at the time, in a building that officials said was in poor condition without emergency exits, forcing dozens to jump from upper storeys to escape the flames, but trapping dozens in the basement where they perished.