Summary Initial report says building caught fire due to short circuit and explosion of battery cells
LAHORE: (Dunya News) – Initial report of the fire in Al-Karim Plaza of Anarkali has been presented to Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif by the district administration, Dunya News reported. The report says that short circuit and explosion of battery cells caused the fire to break.
The report says that there were batteries and cells, used in wall clocks, present in large number at the place where fire broke out. Chemical spilled out of a UPS battery just at the start of fire intensified the fire too. Report also says that the arrangements to cope with fire were inadequate in the plaza and there was only one gate to exit or enter the plaza.
People were unable to find the way out of the plaza and excessive smoke caused their deaths. The four fire extinguishers did not have any gas in them. Fire brigade cars reached late on the occasion due to encroachments in the market and their ladders could not climb 80 meters high due to which they had to break the wall of the adjacent building for rescuing the people stuck in the plaza, according to the report.
The rescue officials had the fire extinguishing tools but they did not have the costume wearing which they could pass through fire.
CM Shahbaz has demanded detailed report from the district administration regarding safety measures of all the building in the walled city. This report will be presented to the CM within next 24 hours. The report will highlight the exit routes available in all the plazas situated in the walled city and the emergency measures they have taken if such a case surfaces again.
