Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Sunday evening visited Gul Plaza, the site of a devastating fire incident, where he reviewed rescue and firefighting operations and spoke to the media about the tragedy.
\nTalking to reporters, the chief minister said that the area is a major commercial hub, especially busy due to the ongoing wedding season. \u201cPeople come here for shopping, particularly these days,\u201d he remarked.
\nShah stated that reports of the fire were received after 10:00 pm last night, following which municipal authorities responded immediately and informed him. \u201cThe first fire tender reached the site at 10:27 pm and firefighting operations began without delay,\u201d he said.
\nHe disclosed that an extensive operation was carried out to control the blaze. \u201cA total of 26 fire tenders, four snorkels and 10 water bowsers took part in the operation,\u201d he said, adding that several institutions extended support. \u201cAlong with KMC, the Pakistan Navy, KPT provided snorkels, while the Civil Aviation Authority dispatched three firefighting machines,\u201d he noted.
\nExpressing deep sorrow over the loss of lives, the chief minister said that, according to the latest information, six people lost their lives, including a firefighter from the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation. \u201c22 people were injured and shifted to hospitals for medical treatment. Alhamdulillah, all of them have now been treated and discharged,\u201d he added.
\nHe termed the situation extremely worrying as 58 to 60 people are still reported missing. \u201cWe pray to Allah for their safety and hope they are found alive,\u201d he said.
\nBriefing the media on the structure, Chief Minister Murad Shah said the affected building consisted of a basement, ground floor and three storeys, housing more than a thousand shops. He cautioned against speculating on the cause of the fire, stating that it was too early to draw final conclusions. \u201cSome preliminary reports suggest the fire may have started due to a short circuit in one of the shops,\u201d he said, adding that the presence of highly combustible materials caused the fire to spread rapidly.
\nMurad Sha further explained that firefighters faced severe difficulties during the operation. \u201cDue to the building\u2019s layout and lack of access points, firefighters could not enter inside easily, which unfortunately led to greater damage,\u201d he said.
\nDuring his visit, the chief minister was briefed by Minister Labour Saeed Ghani, and Commissioner Karachi Hassan Naqvi on the incident and ongoing efforts. He also met with affected shopkeepers and families, personally consoling them and sharing their grief.
\nThe chief minister assured that the government would conduct a thorough investigation into the incident and take necessary steps to prevent such tragedies in the future, while providing all possible support to the victims.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Sunday evening visited Gul Plaza, the site of a devastating fire incident, where he reviewed rescue and firefighting operations and spoke to the media about the tragedy. Talking to reporters, the chief minister said that the area is a major commercial hub, especially busy due to the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":526480,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-526470","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-national"},"yoast_head":"\n