Korangi factory fire: Police investigators question DG SBCA

KARACHI: Police investigators have visited the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) office to question the concerned officers of the Korangi Town in connection with the probe into the Mehran Town factory fire incident, ARY News reported on Tuesday.

Sources told ARY News that duty officers of Korangi Town left the building just after police officers entered the SBCA office to question them. The investigation officials have reached to question the suspended SBCA officers.

Sources added that police officials have questioned SBCA director-general Saleem Raza and also summoned an officer Ahsan Idrees. The SBCA officers provided complete details of the factory to the police.

READ: THREE OFFICIALS OF SBCA SUSPENDED IN KORANGI FACTORY FIRE INCIDENT

It was learnt that the building map had been approved during the tenure of former DG SBCA Manzoor Qadir Kaka, whereas, the map had been passed by Zafar Alvi, who was arrested by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

Sources said that the building map was about a two-storey house for residential purposes. The officers said that they were unaware of the construction of an additional floor and its conversion into a factory.

READ: KARACHI FACTORY WHERE BLAZE KILLED 16 BUILT ILLEGALLY, KDA SAYS

Earlier on August 27, at least 16 labourers had burnt to death as a blaze erupted in a chemical factory located in Korangi’s Mehran Town of the port city.

It emerged that the underage employees as child labours were also working at the factory. Firefighting teams had managed to extinguish the fire after hours-long efforts.

The labourers working for the factory had said that there was only one way to enter or exit the building and the blaze made it impossible to reach it.

READ: OWNERS BOOKED IN KORANGI FACTORY FIRE INCIDENT

Following the incident, three officials of the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) had been suspended for not taking action against the illegal factory built in the Korangi.

The assistant director SBCA deputed in city’s Korangi district, senior building inspector and building inspector had been suspended over failing to spot the presence of illegal factory.

Furthermore, a three-member committee comprising senior directors of the SBCA had been constituted to investigate the matter.