Police lodge manslaughter FIR after 11 killed in fire at high-rise on Karachi’s Rashid Minhas Road

Police have registered a first information report (FIR) but failed to make any arrests a day after nearly a dozen people were killed in a massive fire at a commercial high-rise building in Karachi’s Gulistan-e-Jauhar area.

At least 11 people died while five others were injured after a blaze erupted inside the R.J. Shopping Mall at 6:20am yesterday because of a suspected short circuit.

The fire began on the fourth floor and later engulfed other floors. According to officials, the deaths occurred beca­use the building had no ventilation.

Today, the police registered a case at the Sharea Faisal police station. It stated that an inspection of the site revealed the six-storey building did not have an emergency exit or a fire alarm system, and it was suspected that the blaze erupted due to a short circuit.

It said that after the fire broke out, people stuck inside the building tried to flee using stairs and lifts, resulting in suffocation.

The FIR, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, said a detailed probe would be conducted spanning over the aspects of: approval of building’s construction, clearance of map and plan, connivance of K-Electric and other organisations, negligence and use of substandard material.

It invoked Sections 322 (manslaughter), 436 (mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to destroy house, etc), 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees), 288 (negligent conduct with respect to pulling down or repairing buildings), 285 (negligent conduct with respect to fire or combustible matter) and 34 (acts done by several persons In furtherance of common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

Separately, Karachi East Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Syed Irfan Bahadur told Dawn.com police would initiate further legal proceedings after experts determined the exact cause of the fire and other contributory factors.

“So far, it is suspected that a short circuit triggered the fire,” he said, adding that no arrests had been made so far.

CM orders safety audit

Earlier, caretaker Sindh Chief Minister retired Justice Maqbool Baqar ordered a safety audit of all commercial buildings, public spots and offices, saying fire eruption incidents were taking place because the inspection system had been abandoned in the city.

The CM directed the Sindh Building Control Authority, Provincial Disaster Management Authority, Civil Defence, and deputy commissioners/assistant commissioners concerned to carry out safety audits of all public and commercial buildings, educational institutions, and government offices and submit their report along with recommendations.

The CM also directed the Karachi commissioner to investigate the R.J. Shopping Mall fire.

Meanwhile, Mayor Karachi Barrister Murtaza Wahab said the commercial building where the fire incident took place was located within the jurisdiction of Cantonment Board.