Fire erupts at third commercial building in less than a month

Another fire broke out at a commercial building in the city on Tuesday night. The fire at Sharea Faisal was brought under control after a 10-hour effort. This is the third such incident in less than a month.

The November 25 fire at the RJ Shopping Mall on Rashid Minhas Road had killed 11 people, while the December 6 fire at the Arshi Shopping Mall on Shahrah-e-Pakistan had killed five people. In the case of the December 19 fire at the Parsa Tower, no loss of life was reported.

According to Chief Fire Officer Ishtiaq Ahmed, the latest incident again raises the need for awareness among people, and for trained staff to operate fire extinguishing systems at commercial buildings and take immediate action in case of a fire.

After receiving information about the fire at the Parsa Tower on Sharea Faisal, one of the busiest thoroughfares in the city, fire engines were dispatched to douse the fire and rescue the people trapped in the building.

Eight fire engines, two water bowsers and one snorkel were used in the firefighting operation, while 10 people were rescued from the building. No casualties were reported.

Fire brigade officials said the fire erupted on the fourth floor, affecting the upper floors due to smoke and posing a serious challenge for the firefighters. They said the firefighters had controlled the fire during the night and the cooling process was under way, but shortly, the fire had reignited in the building and spread again.

The chief fire officer told The News that the first fire engine had been dispatched around 10pm on Tuesday. He said the fire had started in the building’s duct, which carried the electricity cables and plastic sewerage pipes.

He added that the pipes caught fire, which then spread to the offices adjacent to the duct. He explained that the fire started in the duct, progressed from the fourth floor and reached up to the 10th floor.

He also said the firefighters had brought the fire under control by around 12:15am. However, he added, a rush of people working at the offices in the building increased soon after. Ahmed said that as soon as they saw that the fire had been brought under control, they started moving towards their offices to save their belongings, such as laptops, etc.

He mentioned two significant mistakes made during the incident: firstly, people should not have rushed back to their offices; secondly, a more critical error occurred when they started opening doors and windows to allow more oxygen to enter.

He explained that the people might have been unaware that increased oxygen could pose a significant threat. As a result, he lamented, the fire that had been brought under control regained intensity.

He said the fire quickly spread from the fourth floor to the 10th floor. He also said that this not only resulted in further damage but also put the lives of the trapped people at further risk. The rescue operation had to be carried out using snorkels to save them, he added.

The officer said the fire brigade restarted their operation and regained control over the fire. Despite the cooling process being completed, two fire engines were stationed there throughout the day to ensure immediate control in case of the fire reigniting, he added.

He said the offices located alongside the duct suffered damage. Replying to a query, he mentioned that the building is equipped with a fire extinguishing system, and it has fire exits and other safety measures.

He remarked that the fire department had recently conducted a survey of the building. However, he pointed out, the main problem lies in the lack of awareness among people. He explained that due to a lack of awareness, people take actions like hastily entering the building, and opening doors and windows to try to reduce the smoke and smell.

He said that this kind of thing allows the fire to reignite. He stressed the importance of awareness and trained staff to handle such situations so that further harm and loss of lives can be prevented.