Lives lost, lessons unlearned: Fire in the city by the sea

At the far corner of the pediatric unit at Karachi Burns Center, a woman desperately tries to latch her daughter for feeding. The infant, covered in gauze, fails to hold on as her shrill cries fill the room, cutting through the white walls of the facility.

Two-year-old Fariha Hassan bears the burns of a fire that ripped through her apartment in Kharadar last week. The story is not unheard of; a gas cylinder explosion that engulfed her family into flames.

The incident, one of many reported across the metropolis every week, was preventable if only a handful of safety rules and regulations were followed.

According to an analysis of five-year data compiled by the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC), at least six fires erupt in the city daily. The reasons behind these fires may vary from case to case, but the casualties and injuries that arise from them are easily preventible if only the authorities and citizens themselves take some basic precautions.

Doctors say Fariha, who sustained burns on 30 per cent of her body, will eventually recover, albeit with scars. They deem her ‘lucky’ to have survived despite the intensity of the fire. Unlike her, thousands of families have lost their loved ones to fires that erupt across Karachi almost every day.

Last November, Bilal Tajuddin bid farewell to his mother and left for the night shift at a coffee shop located at Karachi’s RJ Mall. The next morning, Bilal’s father was jolted awake by a phone call.

“A fire has broken out in the building and I am stuck inside, just pray for me,” the 24-year-old said frantically. That was the last time Bilal’s family heard from him.

“The day was hell for us,” his uncle, Zubairuddin, recalled. “Bilal was the second eldest son of the family and shared the responsibility of supporting his father and four younger siblings,” he told Dawn.com.

Eleven people, including Bilal, died in the blaze that erupted at the mall. Officials said that the deaths occurred because the completely covered six-storey commercial building lacked proper ventilation shafts, which could have allowed the victims and smoke to escape.

The post-mortem reports of the deceased also confirmed that the victims had died from suffocation, not burns.

What could and should be

KMC data shows that 1,515 commercial fires were reported at banks, restaurants, plazas, hotels and small cabins across the city over the last five years. Another 1,952 residential and 1,203 factory fires were also recorded during the same period.

All of these incidents could have been prevented if only the Civil Defence Department, Sindh Building Control Authority (SCBA), and the KMC Fire Department enforced existing safety laws and mechanisms, designed to minimise damage and provide immediate relief in the event of an accident.

These include the Factory Act 1934 (amended in 1997), the Sindh Factories Act, 2015 and the Karachi Building and Town Planning Regulations, 2002 (KB&TPR). The first two are neither stringent nor very comprehensive on fire safety. However, the KB&TPR, which covers basic aspects of fire safety, are bound to be taken into consideration by the SBCA when approving a building plan and granting a completion certificate.

According to the SBCA by-laws, buildings that are ground plus three or above 43 feet should have a set of vertically installed standpipe systems, allowing the connection of fire hoses for manual fire fighting.

Ishtiaque Ahmed, KMC’s chief fire officer, told Dawn.com that these inlets are only present in a few buildings, most of which are located in industrial areas. But in residential areas, these water-filling points are like “salt in flour”, he said, using a metaphor to describe the rare find.

The laws also mandate the installation of an automatic sprinkler system in every institutional building with a parking area where combustible products are sold, displayed, or manufactured. The sprinkler system should be connected to a tank capable of supplying water for up to 20 minutes.

Besides, the law also mandates the availability of at least one manual fire extinguisher for every 2,400 square feet of space in public assembly buildings such as wedding halls and other enclosed public spaces. Similarly, at least one extinguisher should be available at every stairway landing in residential and commercial buildings.

As per the by-laws, an interior fire alarm system should be installed in all hotels, motels and dormitories with more than one floor and a capacity of 50 or more occupants. All hospital and institutional buildings accommodating over 20 occupants above ground must also have this alarm system installed.

Furthermore, buildings are required to have a signal connected to the nearest fire station to ensure immediate response in case of a blaze.

The by-laws state that buildings should have fire-resistant structures such as non-combustible materials for walls to withstand fire heat for some time and prevent collapse.

Moreover, buildings must incorporate protected shafts constructed solely for stairways, lifts, chutes, ducts, or any other purposes that allow people, objects, or air to pass between different compartments. These shafts help smoke escape the building during a fire.

Ironically, the by-laws entirely overlook fire exits.

To address this and other deficiencies, the Building Code of Pakistan (BCP) Fire Safety Provisions 2016 was introduced. However, compliance with these provisions is rarely observed in city buildings.

“The BCP emphasises means of egress, stipulating a three-foot safe passage in high-rise buildings leading to exit staircases and final discharge doors,” explained Sufyan Sheikh, secretary general of the Fire Protection Association of Pakistan (FPAP).

He highlighted that fire alarm systems, extinguishers, and emergency drill training requirements for residents and staff were mandatory. But while these additional provisions are present, their implementation varies based on occupancy and risk assessment.

“Converting these codes into an Act is imperative,” Sheikh stressed. But there is a long way to go because today even the mandated laws aren’t followed.

“It is all about saving money … using the right certified material to prevent these accidents would cost money. Builders always want to minimise their cost,” lamented Architect Arif Belgami.

“The other problem is that the contractors involved in the construction of these buildings, whether it be a single-storey or 19-storey building, have no qualifications; anybody can do this work as long as they have the basic know-how,” he added.

This lack of knowledge, the architect explained, meant that the contractors did not understand the importance of safety measures and often completely skipped them.

Authorities in deep slumber

Although the Sindh government has not set these provisions in law, the Civil Defence Department — which operates under both the provincial and federal governments under the provisions of the Civil Defence Act of 1952 — is mandated to inspect and ensure the implementation of safety measures enlisted in the BCP.

“Every district of Karachi has a deputy controller, additional controller and technical team responsible for ensuring the implementation of fire safety protocols,” said Safdar Ali Bghio, the director of the Civil Defence Department, describing the workings of the authority.

According to the law, the authority’s representatives may inspect any building at any time and issue warning letters. If the owners or occupiers of the building do not comply with the orders, they can be fined and face imprisonment of up to three years.

“We inspect buildings against the safety guidelines set in the BCP and provide owners with a fire assessment report which tells them the safety measures needed in their building,” said Mirza Mursalin Baig, senior technician at the Civil Defence Department.

He explained that each building has different requirements depending on the size of the plot, covered area and several other specific details.

But despite having powers to hold individuals responsible, the authority has failed to ensure the implementation of these laws. When asked about the reason, Shahabuddin Siddiqui, additional controller for East, Korangi and Malir, stated: “There is a huge staffing problem. Most appointed people have retired, and new appointments have been stalled for the past 20-25 years.”

“A primary problem in all old and even under-construction buildings is the lack of emergency exits,” Baig sighed. “This provision can easily be implemented when the building is being planned or built but the SBCA never shows us the layout plan before giving approvals.”

“How are these high-rise buildings that don’t even have emergency exits being given completion certificates?” he questioned. However, when asked if the Civil Defence Department took any action in the absence of compliance with safety measures, Baig had no answer.

It is important to note that the Civil Defence Department is also responsible for educating people about the use of fire safety equipment, such as operating a fire extinguisher. However, most people have no idea how to operate the equipment in case of an emergency.

Ali Hassan, a 36-year-old mechanic from Gharo, sustained burns on 20pc of his body when a fire broke out in the rice factory he worked at. The incident took place while he was replacing a broken wire, bare-handed.

“The factory owners do provide us safety gadgets but I have never used them because we haven’t seen anyone doing the same,” he said.

Not important enough?

Dr Ehmer-al-Ibran, a consultant plastic surgeon who worked at the Burns Centre for over a decade, told Dawn.com that most of the deaths in incidents of fire take place from smoke inhalation injuries rather than burns.

“When a fire breaks out, it releases carbon monoxide, which deposits in the respiratory tract, making it difficult to breathe and eventually leading to death,” he explained.

Another reason for the high casualties is the lack of safety exits in most buildings. “Buildings, whether commercial or residential, usually have a single entrance and exit. If that too is blocked, the chances of injuries increase because people start jumping off the floors to escape.

“Fewer people die from the fires and more from these incidents,” he said.

Despite this, rarely do people consider implementing fire safety mechanisms when building houses. As KMC’s Ahmed highlighted, most of the interest lies in measures such as barbed wires and adapters for protection against thieves and short circuits.

“But almost no importance is given to fire precautionary measures,” he said. “If they do consider fire safety, it usually involves placing equipment as decoration pieces, not realising that they need to be serviced every six months.”

The chief fire officer pointed out that some of the most prestigious organisations rely on outdated fire safety measures such as buckets filled with sand. “They realise the importance of proper safety measures only when an incident occurs.”

The Civil Defence Department’s Baig concurred. Residents buy apartments in buildings worth millions without even giving a second thought to the availability of emergency exits. “They never think how they will escape from their fancy flats in the event of an earthquake or fire,” he lamented.

Unfortunately, while people neglect these basic safety details, so do the authorities. The latter only feel compelled to take action on safety matters when an incident occurs. Otherwise, the issue is conveniently brushed under the carpet.

Fractured system

In 2021, a division bench of the Sindh High Court, headed by Justice Mohammad Ali Mazhar, directed the SBCA to formulate a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), requiring builders to obtain a no-objection certificate from Civil Defence and fire departments before constructing buildings.

Three years later, the fractured system has yet to be fixed.

It was only when the RJ Mall fire occurred that the government finally jolted awake. Immediately after the incident, Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab ordered a ‘fire security audit’ of all high-rises located along three major arteries of the city. The then Karachi commissioner Muhammad Saleem Rajput issued orders to all Deputy Commissioners (DC) and related departments to conduct the fire safety audits of all high-rises in the city.

The orders stated that the teams should inspect fire safety mechanisms in all shopping malls, centres, plazas, and residential, commercial and government buildings. The commissioner also instructed the teams to examine approved building plans and assess whether the SBCA building by-laws have been implemented. The deputy commissioners were to submit a report within seven days, besides follow-up reports every quarter.

A month on, some districts reported back while others are still conducting their survey. Dawn.com compiled survey reports of six districts, for which the data was available. An analysis of the surveys unveiled the incompetence of authorities and mishaps — the absence of layout plans, training and emergency exits among others.

DC Korangi Jawwad Muzaffar explained that the survey teams comprised representatives from nine departments. They were responsible for assessing fire safety provisions and declaring them as satisfactory or unsatisfactory.

Commenting on the findings of the survey, Korangi Assistant Commissioner Imran ul Haq noted: “Most big industries fulfilled the requirements, it is the cottage industries that lacked them.”

Meanwhile, AC Landhi Madiha Narejo, while talking about the survey conducted in her jurisdiction, said: “The civil defence representatives accompanying us knew which factory had the provisions and which company lacked what requirements; they know what is going on where.”

Dawn.com reached out to the South district office multiple times, requesting the detailed survey, but was only given a summary. It stated that buildings in the Saddar sub-division did have more than one exit but none of them were declared an emergency exit. In the Arambagh sub-division — a high-density old town locality — 90 per cent of the buildings are constructed in contravention with the SBCA layout plans, with basements converted into godowns and fire exits blocked.

In the sub-division Civil Lines, it said that in various shopping malls surveyed, loose wiring was a common problem while fire alarm systems, fire extinguishers and fire safety-related signage were absent. It added that the management of these malls “instead of acknowledging their shortcomings, kept blaming builders”.

According to the report of the Lyari sub-division, a low-income and predominantly residential area, builders were alien to the concept of layout plans, fire detection systems, fire extinguisher mechanisms and emergency response planning. However, people acknowledged fire hazards and the management of the buildings committed to fire safety systems in the minimum time possible.

Speaking to Dawn.com, Rajput said he had instructed deputy commissioners of each district to meet building owners and associations to decide on a phased implementation of fire safety provisions.

“I have directed the DCs to give them six months to implement these measures,” he said. Rajput explained that residents could not be held accountable as building owners are usually unreachable after they sell off their properties and purchasing safety equipment could be expensive.

The former commissioner noted another problem: the quality of the fire safety equipment available in the market, which, according to him, was often sub-standard. “We have cracked down on markets to resolve the issue, but the results have remained the same.”

In a meeting chaired by former caretaker chief minister Justice Maqbool Baqar, it was relayed to the DG SBCA that strict action would be taken against officials if any building is constructed without adhering to the by-laws. “I have told officers to inspect all buildings for fire safety provisions and ensure their implementation,” Abdul Rasheed Solangi, the director general of the SBCA, told Dawn.com.

Solangi said he had also directed officials to ensure that future layout plans included fire exits and that no completion certificates would be issued to buildings that have not implemented fire safety provisions. He added that notices had been issued to officers who issued completion certificates for buildings lacking the requirements.

When Dawn.com pointed out that the commissioner had already conducted a survey, the DG replied that he had only recently been appointed and was unaware of the survey. “We will still conduct our own survey, which has already begun,” he said.

While the authorities repeatedly take the same actions without result, emergency workers like Muhammad Farooq are left to pull burnt bodies from buildings.

“I still get nightmares. The victims of the Baldia factory fire ask me, ‘Why didn’t you do enough to save us?’” said Muhammad Farooq, who is in charge of emergency rescue operations at Edhi Foundation. He was referring to the deadliest industrial fire in the country’s history, when 260 trapped workers were burnt or suffocated to death inside a garment factory in Baldia Town, Karachi, in 2011.

After a long pause, Farooq broke the silence. “Nobody wants to lose their life. Everyone tries their best to save themselves. They did too. There were 15-20 bodies piled on top of each other at every blocked exit and barricaded window. They just wanted a gasp of air to survive a few more minutes,” he told Dawn.com.

“The odour is so strong that it stays with us for days. The cries of those families are so loud that they echo in my ears for the nights to come,” Farooq said as he collected his equipment and headed out to address yet another fire emergency call.

Special thanks to Jamal Hassan from Dawn GIS

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