Police blame RJ Mall management for November 25 blaze

The Sindh police enquiry team formed to investigate the RJ Mall blaze and fix responsibility has blamed the management of the shopping centre for the incident.

The investigation was conducted by a four-member committee, headed by East DIG Ghulam Azfar Mahesar, and comprising SSP Syed Irfan Ali Bahadur, SSP Saud Magsi and SP Gulshan Ayaz Hussain.

Their report said the fire broke out due to poor quality electrical and false ceiling installations, adding that the fire broke out in the cafeteria on the fourth floor, which can also be confirmed through the CCTV camera footage.

The committee said the footage shows a sharp light due to a spark at 6:12am on November 25, adding that more damage was caused due to a lack of fire exits and equipment.

They said the builder had not obtained a building completion certificate, adding that the relevant department had also not assured the building’s completion or the presence of a fire safety system.

They also said that there was no automatic fire safety system in accordance with chapters 84 and 88 of the building bye-laws, adding that the builder had handed over the building to shopkeepers without obtaining a completion certificate.

Police said the building’s owners, the mall’s management and the A&I Foundation are responsible for the damages caused by the fire, adding that the lift on the fourth floor had been sealed for better air conditioning.

The investigation team questioned the officials of 12 institutions, as well as the building owners, the security incharge, the administration and the families of the deceased.

Their report includes reports of the Cantonment Board Faisal, K-Electric and the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation’s (KMC) fire department, as well as the opinions of NED University experts.

The police report recommended action against the building’s owners, the mall’s management and the A&I Foundation. It also advised against providing electricity and gas connections to buildings that lack a completion certificate.

They said that after the completion of a building’s construction, the relevant institutions and boards should clear it after scrutiny, while the fire department should also make its approval mandatory for all buildings.

They also recommended conducting fire avoidance exercises in residential and commercial buildings twice a month, immediately sealing substandard buildings, upgrading power installations to appropriate standards, and compensating deceased victims’ families and those who were injured.

Need to upgrade fire dept

Fire department officials said fire incidents in the city have been increasing with every passing day, adding that 99 fire engines are available to douse fires.

They said that in 1997 the then administrator had bought 56 fire engines, adding that the municipal body was using fire engines that gradually deteriorated, but the municipal administration never thought of getting them repaired.

As a result, they pointed out, only 11 fire engines were functional in 2018. The then prime minister imported 52 fire engines from China and handed them over to the KMC, they said.

They also said that now the KMC has 99 fire engines for a city of 30 million people, adding that 56 of them are used for firefighting while 43 are parked at the junk yard for either auction or repairs.

Another major issue facing the fire brigade is the shortage of manpower because the Sindh government had banned recruitment in the fire brigade in 2009 and it is still in effect, they added.

The officials said the fire department has only 90 drivers against the capacity of 240, as 150 have retired, while some 700 employees, including the director, are working for the fire brigade.

They claimed that despite adverse conditions and low resources, as soon as a fire is reported anywhere in the city, the KMC’s fire brigade leaves with fire engines from the fire station within two minutes.

While they admitted the need for improving the efficiency of the fire department, they pointed out that despite having limited resources, they managed to increase the number of fire stations from 18 to 28.

They remarked that there are 130 vacant posts for drivers and as many for firefighters, while several other vacant posts also require fresh recruitment, so the government should not only focus on upgrading the fire department but also lift the recruitment ban.

They said Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab had assured the fire brigade during a recent meeting that the department would be upgraded, which would include protection for firefighters and equipping them with modern gadgets, while the department's budget would also be increased.