No loss of life as fire doused at Karachi’s Rimpa Plaza: rescue officials

Updated 19 Dec, 2024

Rescue officials on Thursday said they succeeded in controlling a fire that erupted in a multi-storey building named Rimpa Plaza on Karachi’s MA Jinnah Road.

The incident comes just two weeks after fire engulfed the same building.

On Thursday, fire broke out on roof of the second floor, where disposable goods were being stored, according to Rescue 1122 spokesperson Hassaan Khan.

Rescue teams and fire fighters reached the site to control the blaze.

The fire was brought under control, with no casualties reported, Hassaan said.

As per the Fire Protection Association of Pakistan (FPAP) President Kanwar Waseem, 2,800 fires were reported in Karachi in 2023, while over 3,000 incidents were recorded in 2024 through November.

He attributed the incidents to widespread non-compliance with fire safety laws and the neglect of building safety codes during construction.

“Seventy percent of Karachi’s residential, commercial, and industrial buildings are devoid of fire safety arrangements,” he said in a recent event. “The neglect of safety codes during construction makes these buildings death traps during emergencies.”

Waseem also lamented the discontinuation of fire safety and first aid training in schools and colleges.

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