Arshi Mall fire tragedy remains a mystery

KARACHI: The fire brigade report regarding the deadly fire in Arshi shopping mall near Ayesha Manzil Karachi revealed shocking details, ARY News reported.

As per details, the fire brigade department revealed the initial report of Arshi shopping mall fire however the report has no mention of the cause of the deadly fire.

The report highlighted that the building lacked emergency lighting, power backup and essential fire safety equipment, the report stated.

Over 169 ground floor shops completely burned, while 30 out of 120 mezzanine floor shops remain safe. Fortunately, 73 out of 76 flats on floors one to four were unharmed, with only minor damage reported in one third-floor flat and two second-floor flats.

During the rescue operation, a 500 individuals were safely evacuated, resulting in no casualties. However, four dead bodies were recovered from the shopping mall.

Furthermore, 18 bikes and one vehicle were burned, yet nearby markets remained undamaged.

Several families were affected by a deadly fire that erupted at the multi-story Arshi Shopping Mall located in the Ayesha Manzil area of Karachi, leaving at least five persons dead.

The fire engulfed several residential apartments and 130 shops turning several jewellery and garment shops into ashes in the multi-storey building.

Four out of five deceased persons have been identified. The deceased persons include Ghulam Raza, 35, Noman Baig, 38, Mustafa, 20, and Riaz, 30.

The technical report of the investigation committee has declared the first to fourth floors of the Arshi Heights building safe for living. However, the mezzanine and ground floor will remain closed pending necessary repairs.

The report revealed that the building was constructed 30 years ago but not included in the heritage list however there are no cracks in any part of the building.

Last month, 11 people were killed when a huge fire engulfed R.J. Shopping Mall at Karachi’s Rashid Minhas Road.

Following the incident, Mayor Karachi Murtaza Wahab decided to conduct ‘safety audit’ of all major buildings across the city.

Karachi, the country’s economic hub with a population of 20.3 million, is home to a vast network of factories and towering high-rises, but the city’s firefighting infrastructure is inadequate to deal with its frequent fires.

Earlier in November, urban planners and engineers at a symposium said that about 90 percent of all structures in Karachi — residential, commercial and industrial — lacked fire prevention and firefighting systems.