Gul Plaza Inferno: Fire put out and reignited, says market official

KARACHI: Gul Plaza market association’s President has said that the fire ignited in a shop at 10:10 PM on Saturday night and we reached to the spot after being reported about the incident.

“We used fire extinguishers for 15 to 20 minutes, the fire after being doused for time being, reignited and spread through the AC piping,” talking to media, president of the market body Tanvir Qasim Pasta said.

“The fire spread towards the Gate-3 of the market at M.A. Jinnah Road,” market official said.

He said the Fire Brigade was informed about the fire, while “We ourselves tried to douse the blaze”. “The fire tender reached after 55 minutes,” he said. “A fire engine was reached and its water ended within 20 minutes,” President market association said. “Two more fire tenders reached to the spot after 25 to 30 minutes,” he said.

“We had a list of 55 persons untraced in the deadly blaze including 42 shopkeepers,” Tanvir Qasim Pasta said.

“It is being claimed that the Gul Plaza exits were closed,” he said. “There were around 6,500 people in the market at that time, if there were no exit, how could the Mall vacated within 10 minutes,” he questioned.

He said some people remained at the mezzanine floor and 50 to 55 persons have been missing.

He said there were billions of rupees shopping items in Gul Plaza, having 1200 shops.

He said a full-fledged rescue process has started since last night. “We talked to the Mayor Karachi and we were provided necessary things”.

Gul Plaza market body official said that a meeting of the Chief Minister of Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah has been scheduled today. “We have been assured that our losses will be compensated. We will revive the Gul Plaza Mall and recompense the losses of the shop owners,” he added.

Death toll in Karachi’s Gul Plaza fire jumped to 14 as rescue workers recovered another body from the burnt structure after 34 hours of operation, ARY News reported on Monday, quoting rescue officials.

A massive fire that broke out at Gul Plaza on MA Jinnah Road has turned into a major emergency. Firefighters battled the blaze while police, Rangers and rescue teams remain on the ground as authorities work to control the situation and account for the missing.