Garment factory catastrophe

A fire that erupted in a garment factory in Karachis Baldia Town extinguished the flames on more than 300 lives. According to eyewitnesses the flames had suddenly leaped around 6pm, usually closing time. However as has now become obvious, hundreds had stayed back to work overtime. Hours earlier a shoe factory in Shafeeqbad, Lahore, fell prey to a similar fate when a short circuit sparked fire in the factory at around 3.30pm, leaving 21 dead and 14 injured. Within a span of a few hours, scores of labourers, men, women and children succumbed to a most excruciating and horrifying demise. Several were burnt alive and many fell to their deaths trying to leap away from the towering inferno. Who is to be blamed for this calamity? The company owners for their inability to provide adequate firefighting equipment, the authorities that have remained oblivious to Building Code violations or those involved in oversight and inspection? Despite the loss of so many lives, answers to the glaring questions raised in the aftermath of the mayhem remain unanswered. Locals explained how the factory had previously been subject to three fire related incidents and still no action had been taken to prevent such hazards. Firefighters faced difficulty in obtaining water for their vehicles since nearby hydrants were out of order. Bowser tanks had to be brought in to aid the effort, but unfortunately not even half the people in the factory could be saved. The Chief of the Fire Department reported that all entrance and exit points of the building were locked to protect against theft, so the victims had been boxed in. The Fire Chief also lamented that non-availability of water and the closure of near-by hydrants impeded firefighters efforts. Bystanders further hindered rescue missions by blocking passage to the building. Officials previously have explained how only a select few buildings in the city have proper fire control protocols, and protective instruments present at such sites are usually props for a game of "show and tell" with authorities. The government machinery has swung into action, after the incident. Interior Minister Rehman Malik announced an inquiry into the incident, as did Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah. Politicians from various political parties expressed condolences and demanded investigation. The multiple probes announcement at various government levels should reach not just the owners of the factory but the officials through whose connivance these and other structures are issued the necessary permits without regard to basic safety for the poor souls that are to dwell, toil and die there.