Fire at Karachi hotel

In yet another fire accident in Karachi, this time at a four-star hotel, at least 11 people died from inhaling smoke flowing through air conditioning ducts and 75 others were injured when a fire broke out in the wee hours of Monday in its kitchen located on the ground floor, trapping guests on the upper floors. Harrowing scenes were witnessed as some of the panicked guests, including members of UBL cricket team, jumped from windows to save their lives, ending up with broken bones. This would not have happened had the required safety measures, such as the mandatory water sprinklers and fire escape stairs, been in place. In fact, the city Mayor, Waseem Akhtar, told reporters the hotel had "no fire exits or fire alarms." It is now for him to find out why the standard protective measures were not followed, and hold to account all those responsible - the hotel proprietors as well as the concerned regulatory authorities.
The incident is a tragic reminder of the lax safety measures that have persisted despite frequent outbreaks of fire in the city. The appalling 2012 inferno at the Baldia Town factory consumed all of the 289 lives inside because those caught in it had no way of getting out. During the last few months, there have been three major fire incidents in Karachi's industrial area, two in garments and tyre factories and one in a rice godown, causing losses worth multi-millions. So far no one has bothered to find out why these incidents continue to recur, whether the building laws are deficient or they are not being implemented. It was left to the fire brigade to douse the flames. It had its own problems, such as lack of sufficient number of vehicles, snorkels, and even water. In Lahore too there have been several incidents, including at a shoe and a chemicals factory, LDA and Alfalah buildings, and a congested market in the Old City- where illegally constructed shops obstructed the fire fighters vehicles from reaching the burning structures - as well as a TV studio. Several precious lives were lost. In each case, the basic requirement of fire escape was found missing, forcing some to try and take the risk of jumping for life rather than burning to death.
Sad as it is, in recent years successive governments have shown little interest in issues concerning public safety. There was a time when offices and other establishments maintained the trademark red fire extinguishing equipment. Not anymore, although with the passage of time that need has kept multiplying as urban centers are growing rapidly, leading to an increasing trend towards high rise buildings. In Karachi, a large part of the population, too, lives in multi-storey buildings, exposing their inhabitants to the ever present danger of fire. It is about time the concerned authorities took serious notice of the issue, and ensured relevant construction rules and other safety requirements are effectively implemented.