SBCA seals Rimpa Plaza after deadly Gul Plaza fire

Karachi: The Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) on Wednesday sealed Rimpa Plaza, located adjacent to the Gul Plaza shopping mall, following a deadly fire at Gul Plaza in Karachi, ARY News reported.

The devastating blaze at Gul Plaza on M.A. Jinnah Road has claimed at least 28 lives, while dozens of people are still reported missing. Search and rescue operations are ongoing.

According to reports, the intense fire has left the decades-old Rimpa Plaza in a weakened and potentially hazardous condition.

SBCA said the building was sealed as a precautionary measure following a joint inspection by an SBCA team and senior Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) engineer Arif Qasim to ensure public safety.

In a notice issued to the owners and occupants of Rimpa Plaza, SBCA declared the building’s structure damaged, unsafe and dangerous. The authority stated that during the fire incident, several portions of Gul Plaza collapsed, with part of the debris falling onto the ramp area of Rimpa Plaza, causing damage to its structural columns.

Following an inspection, SBCA said the affected section of Rimpa Plaza was found to be unsafe and posed a serious threat to human life and property.

The authority directed the owners to immediately stop using the damaged portion of the building and instructed them to remove unsafe structural elements.

SBCA further ordered that repair and strengthening work be carried out strictly under the supervision of a qualified structural engineer, in accordance with applicable building laws and regulations.

SBCA also made it clear that no use or occupation of the affected area will be allowed under any circumstances until the structure is declared safe by a competent authority.

It warned that failure to comply with these directives would result in legal action under relevant provisions of the Sindh Building Control laws.

Meanwhile, Rimpa Plaza management rejected claims that the building is unsafe. A management representative, Naeem Ahmed, told ARY News that the structure remains secure and poses no risk.

Ahmed explained that while a wall of the parking ramp was damaged due to the fire in the neighbouring building, it has not affected Rimpa Plaza’s overall structural integrity. He described reports suggesting otherwise as baseless and misleading.