KARACHI: A constitutional petition was filed in Sindh High Court (SHC) on Monday, seeking a judicial inquiry into the factory fire in Karachi’s Mehran Town.

The Sindh Government, Sindh Building Control Authority, and the Sindh Chief Secretary have been named as respondents in the petition. Seventeen labourers were killed in a blaze that erupted at a chemical factory in Korangi on Friday.

The petition, submitted in court on Monday, stated that the factory was built on a residential plot. It didn’t have any precautionary measures for fire incidents, nor did it have any fire exits or equipment such as extinguishers.

“The unfortunate factory was practically turned into an oven. The windows had iron grills, a steel mesh, and a glass layer. The Karachi heat already makes things unbearable and one can imagine the discomfort the workers must have felt.”

Advocate Sheikh pointed out that there were two new fire tenders sitting at the office of the Korangi Association of Trade and Industry but there was no one to drive them. Consequently, tenders from other areas had to be called in resulting in a delay.

He requested the court to increase the compensation amount of the factory workers killed in the fire to Rs5,000,000. Earlier, the Sindh government had announced Rs1,000,000 for grieving families.

The petition added that the FIR of the incident registered at the Korangi police station includes sections 322 and 34 of the Pakistan Penal Code. This should be replaced by section 302 [punishment for murder]. “The incident is not an accident, but is a clear murder and attempt of murder, it added.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021