The blame game: Fire department under fire again
Director claims he called the Pakistan Steel Mill for assistance but they refused him
A boy holds a picture of his relative, who was killed in Saturday’s accident. At least 62 people were killed and several others were injured on the highway, officials said. PHOTOS: REUTERS
KARACHI:
The charred bodies of the 62 victims who were burned alive in the aftermath of the collision between the passenger coach and the oil tanker now lie in the Edhi morgue. Although the family members of most of the victims have arrived to claim the bodies, it will take another two to three days for the DNA test results, after which they can bury their loved ones.
Meanwhile, the city administration, government officials and transport and traffic departments repeat the age-old rhetorical statements as the relatives and eyewitnesses await answers to the questions that hang in mid-air. Why was there no emergency exit on the bus? Why was the bus given permission to install a CNG kit? Why was the bus filled over its allowed capacity? Why did the fire brigade not arrive in time? These questions will likely never be answered, as has been the case in every such incident in the past.
Meanwhile, the transport minister, Mumtaz Jakhrani and Karachi Commissioner Shoaib Ahmed Siddiqui, were the first to visit the site. They assured the victims’ relatives that the culprits will be taken to task after an inquiry.
“An eyewitness told me that the fire tenders did not arrive in time,” said the commissioner, adding that an inquiry will be conducted to ascertain responsibility for the accident.
Mumtaz Jakhrani, too, blamed the fire tenders for the slow response, adding that had they reached on time, precious lives could have been saved. He, however, avoided responding to queries regarding why the transport department did not taken action against bus owners who had increased the capacity of their vehicles and why they had installed CNG kits in the vehicles. “We will have to wait for the inquiry report,” he said summarily.
The incident once again laid bare the inefficiency of the fire department as only two fire tenders reached the site and that too after over an hour. When they did start the rescue work, their water finished within a matter of minutes after which the officials helplessly watched the fire take its course. Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) senior director for municipal services Masood Alam explained that they received information of the fire at 00:48am. Two fire fighters were dispatched to the site at 00:49, but by that time, the damage had been done.
“When I asked the Pakistan Steel Mill (PST) for assistance, they categorically refused and said they will not be able to send the fire tenders without the permission of the chairperson.” The PST spokesperson was not available for comments.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 12th, 2015.
The charred bodies of the 62 victims who were burned alive in the aftermath of the collision between the passenger coach and the oil tanker now lie in the Edhi morgue. Although the family members of most of the victims have arrived to claim the bodies, it will take another two to three days for the DNA test results, after which they can bury their loved ones.
Meanwhile, the city administration, government officials and transport and traffic departments repeat the age-old rhetorical statements as the relatives and eyewitnesses await answers to the questions that hang in mid-air. Why was there no emergency exit on the bus? Why was the bus given permission to install a CNG kit? Why was the bus filled over its allowed capacity? Why did the fire brigade not arrive in time? These questions will likely never be answered, as has been the case in every such incident in the past.
Meanwhile, the transport minister, Mumtaz Jakhrani and Karachi Commissioner Shoaib Ahmed Siddiqui, were the first to visit the site. They assured the victims’ relatives that the culprits will be taken to task after an inquiry.
Men show the media copies of burnt documents belonging to their relatives who were killed in the accident.
“An eyewitness told me that the fire tenders did not arrive in time,” said the commissioner, adding that an inquiry will be conducted to ascertain responsibility for the accident.
Mumtaz Jakhrani, too, blamed the fire tenders for the slow response, adding that had they reached on time, precious lives could have been saved. He, however, avoided responding to queries regarding why the transport department did not taken action against bus owners who had increased the capacity of their vehicles and why they had installed CNG kits in the vehicles. “We will have to wait for the inquiry report,” he said summarily.
The incident once again laid bare the inefficiency of the fire department as only two fire tenders reached the site and that too after over an hour. When they did start the rescue work, their water finished within a matter of minutes after which the officials helplessly watched the fire take its course. Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) senior director for municipal services Masood Alam explained that they received information of the fire at 00:48am. Two fire fighters were dispatched to the site at 00:49, but by that time, the damage had been done.
“When I asked the Pakistan Steel Mill (PST) for assistance, they categorically refused and said they will not be able to send the fire tenders without the permission of the chairperson.” The PST spokesperson was not available for comments.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 12th, 2015.