Karachi Mayor orders ‘safety audit’ of all major buildings

KARACHI: Mayor Karachi Murtaza Wahab has decided to conduct ‘safety audit’ of all major buildings across the city after nearly a dozen people were killed in a massive fire at a RJ Shopping Mall at Rashid Minhas Road, ARY News reported on Monday.

Expressing concern over incidents of fires in commercial buildings, Murtaza Wahab – in a statement – said that firstly, a safety audit of major buildings at I.I Chundrigar Road and Sharea Faisal will be carried out.

In the second phase, the mayor said, the authorities will conduct audit of buildings at Tariq Road.

He regretted that no emergency evacuation routes were built in majority of the buildings in Karachi. “Action will be taken against responsible, if there are no safety exit in huge buildings,” he added.

At least 11 people died while five others sustained burn injuries after a fire erupted inside the RJ Shopping Mall a day earlier because of a suspected short circuit, as per the officials.

The fire began on the fourth floor and later engulfed other floors. The officials claimed that the deaths occurred because the building had no ventilation.

A first information report (FIR) was registered at Sharae Faisal Police Station by Sub Inspector Sadaruddin Mirani.

It invoked Sections 322 (manslaughter), 436 (mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to destroy), 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees), 288 (negligent conduct with respect to pulling down or repairing buildings), 285 (negligent conduct with respect to fire or combustible matter), 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).

The FIR was registered against the shopping mall’s builders, those who approved the map of the building, those who issued the no-objection certificate (NOC), the incumbent management of the shopping mall, K-Electric and the relevant fire station for failing to fulfil their duties.