Karachi, Pakistan – In a devastating turn of events, a massive fire broke out at the iconic Glade Plaza on one of the busiest roads in Karachi, leaving six people dead, 22 injured, and 58 missing. The fire, which began on Tuesday, has not been fully extinguished, and rescue efforts are still ongoing.
According to the Chief Fire Officer, the fire is still burning, and the cooling process is underway. The Glade Plaza, a commercial complex built in 1995, was initially designed to have only three floors but was later expanded to accommodate more shops, resulting in a total of 1,200 shops.
The building did not have any emergency exits, and there were no firefighting arrangements in place, which has made it difficult for rescue teams to reach the affected areas. The CEO of the rescue operation, Abid Jalalani, said that the building was in a dilapidated state, with the rear section having collapsed earlier, and the next section is now on the verge of collapse.
The Sindh government has announced that assistance will be provided to the families of the victims, and a judicial inquiry has been ordered into the incident. Opposition leaders have demanded a thorough investigation into the cause of the fire, with some suggesting that it may have been a case of sabotage.
The Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Murad Ali Shah, said that the death toll could have been higher if not for the quick response of the rescue teams. He added that the families of the victims will be provided with financial assistance.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman, Barrister Gohar, announced that the opposition leader, Sindh Assembly, and MQM-Pakistan leader, Ali Khursheed, will issue a joint statement condemning the incident.
As the rescue efforts continue, the Sindh government has appealed to the public to stay away from the affected area, and the Help Desk of the Sindh government has announced that there is a possibility of more bodies being recovered from the rubble.
In related news, a recent earthquake measuring 5.8 on the Richter scale struck the region, causing widespread panic. However, there were no reports of any casualties.
Separately, the Pakistan Air Force is conducting a massive air exercise, which includes night combat operations, as part of its training program.
The Sindh Chief Minister has announced that assistance will be provided to the families of the victims, and a judicial inquiry has been ordered into the incident.
Note: The original article had multiple unrelated news items. I have only translated and rewritten the article related to the Glade Plaza fire.
