SBCA team inspects Gul Plaza building

KARACHI: A team of Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) on Tuesday inspected the building of Gul Plaza wrecked by a third-degree fire.

The building control authority’s team allowed rescue workers’ entry in the premises after survey of the structure.

“The building has become dangerous, but rescue work could be conducted with necessary caution,” Director SBCA said.

The official said, it has become must to demolish remaining portion of the building after the rescue process.

He said there is still much smoke within the building, “the rescue process will be dangerous without proper safeguards”.

SBCA official urged rescue officials to ensure that the building’s pillars, walls and beams not being damaged in their work.

“We will continue surveying the structure time and again,” he added.

A massive fire at Gul Plaza at Karachi’s M.A. Jinnah Road has left the city reeling, after breaking out on January 17 at 10:00 P.M. in night, was brought under control after 34 hours.

The fire wrecked building remains structurally fragile and unsafe. Rescue teams, backed by the Army, Rangers and the civil administration, are continuing a cautious search operation for missing persons while engineers assessing stability of the damaged structure, amid growing fears of further collapse.