‘Building by-laws implementation can cut fire, cylinder blast incidents’

LAHORE: Punjab Emergency Service Department (PESD) Director General Dr Rizwan Naseer has expressed his grave concern over the increasing number of fire emergencies and cylinder blasts incidents in the month of June 2021.

The PESD DG said that Emergency Service/Rescue 1122 rescued 95,324 victims while responding to 98,113 emergencies across Punjab, including 2,165 fire emergencies and 16 cylinder blast incidents during the last month.

He said the increasing number of fire emergencies could be reduced in the country as well as in Punjab through implementation of the building bye-laws and Fire Safety Codes of Pakistan. He also emphasised on use of certified, quality and well-kept LPG cylinders and UPS, separately covered and caged outside the kitchens or cooking areas or houses to prevent cylinder blast incidents.

He expressed these views while chairing a monthly review meeting of emergency operations with all the regional and district emergency officers of Punjab at Emergency Services Headquarters here on Friday.

All the heads of wings of Rescue Headquarters and Emergency Services Academy were also present on the occasion. He was apprised that during last month Rescue 1122 responded to 28,510 road accidents, 53,418 medical emergencies, 2,165 fire incidents, 3,241 crimes, 217 drowning incidents, 77 building collapse incidents, 16 explosions and 10,469 miscellaneous operations in Punjab.

The majority of the fire incidents took place in major districts i.e. 525 incidents in Lahore, 170 in Faisalabad, 161 in Rawalpindi, 108 in Multan and 103 in Gujranwala. It has also been observed that seven cylinder blasts incidents were reported in Lahore, four in Gujranwala, three in Rawalpindi one each in Pakpattan and Mianwali.

After a detailed review of the fire emergencies’ data, Dr Rizwan urged all the industrialists and businessmen to install external fire hydrants not more than 100 feet apart at the corner of each building linked to the main water supply of the building.