Arshi Mall fire: Victim Riaz's family says he wasn't rescued despite calls

The sister of another affectee of Karachi’s Arshi Shopping Mall fire, Muhammad Riaz, came forward and complained of the lack of emergency and evacuation services, ARY News reported on Thursday.

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

The furniture shops caught fire at the shopping mall yesterday.  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.

Related: Arshi Shopping Mall fire affectee family narrates ordeal

The elder sister of Arshi Mall fire victim Muhammad Riaz told ARY News that her brother was trapped inside the building but no one came to help him despite several calls.

“Our family was continuously asking the officials to go inside and save Riaz but no one listened to us nor allowed us to go inside the building. Later, my second brother and a relative went inside the shopping mall and came out with Riaz’s body.”

“My deceased brother was a tailor and has three children including two daughters and a son.”

Read more: Karachi’s Arshi Shopping Mall inferno death toll rises to five

In another development today, the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) technical team declared the building safe for residence and confirmed that the building’s map was approved in 1990.

The SBCA officials told the media that there was neither any emergency passage in the building nor hydrant system or firefighting equipment to cope with the emergency situations.

They said that technical experts have not found cracks on the affected building’s beam and column. The building could be used for residence after repair works.