Close coordination had been established with all the relevant emergency response agencies, including the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation, the fire brigade and Rescue 1122, and other departments concerned during the Gul Plaza Shopping Centre fire incident, the District South deputy commissioner told the inquiry commission investigating the January 17 inferno.
Submitting his response to the single-member inquiry commission headed by Justice Agha Faisal, the DC said that emergency response coordination mechanisms had been activated in accordance with the established administrative procedures.
He said the district administration had provided the necessary administrative and logistical facilitation, including coordination with the departments concerned for the provision of machinery, the clearance of access points where required, and the facilitation of emergency responders to ensure continuity of rescue and firefighting efforts.
He also said the district administration had received the initial report of fire at 10:27pm through the emergency control room and wireless coordination system. The district administration had facilitated coordination with the departments concerned to support smooth access for emergency responders, he added. The DC said the administration had observed that the fire’s intensity had been exacerbated by the building’s internal layout and the storage of flammable material.
Replying to a query of the commission about departmental negligence, he said the district administration had discharged its duties of coordination and emergency response with promptness and diligence. The district administration had taken a series of corrective and facilitative measures after the Gul Plaza incident, he added.
He said fire-safety audits and inspection of commercial buildings, shopping malls and high-rises had been conducted throughout the district to assess compliance with the applicable fire safety regulations to identify potential safety hazards.
