KARACHI: Victims of fire-hit building to get relief: Inquiry committee formed
KARACHI, June 1: Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad Khan on Friday announced that the government would provide relief to the affectees of the fire that devastated a residential-cum-commercial complex, Iqbal Centre, on M. A Jinnah Road.
The governor, accompanied by City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal, visited the complex and expressed sympathy with the traders and residents affected by the terrible blaze that started on Wednesday night. He went round the corridors of the ground floor market walking on the filth and mud and also inspected other parts of the building.
The governor issued on the spot directives to city government and the relief commissioner for providing relief to the affected people. He noted heavier losses of life and property were averted by the timely relief and rescue operation by people and relevant departments.
Dr Ibad observed that the affected people had been provided with immediate relief.
He said an investigation was under way to establish the causes of the fire, adding that the facts would be made public accordingly.
The governor said that the issue of setting up chemical godowns in residential areas would also be looked into and a strategy would then be evolved to avert recurrence of such incidents in future.
The city nazim told people that the governor had been monitoring the situation ever since the fire broke out and spread on Wednesday night. He said walls of four flats had sustained heavy damage and could not be repaired. Efforts were under way to accommodate occupants of these flats to some other place, he added.
DCO Javed Hanif, Additional Chief Controller KBCA Rauf Akhtar Farooqui, Adnan Bashir of the KESC, Saddar Town Nazim Dilawar and office-bearers of the Shopkeepers Association were also present on the occasion.
BODY FORMED: On the directives of the City Nazim, Syed Mustafa Kamal, the DCO has constituted a six-member committee to probe into the incident of the Iqbal Center fire.
The committee will prepare a comprehensive report on the cause of the fire, irregularities in the construction of the building, storage of chemicals in the market shops and savaged structure of the building. The report, along with specific recommendations, would be submitted to the DCO within a week.
The committee, headed by Chief Controller of Buildings Rauf Akhtar Farooqui, comprises Additional Executive District Officer-II (Revenue), District Officer-I/Chief Engineer (Works & Services), RBF Zone-II District Officer (Master plan), District Officer (C&F) and District Officer (Law) of the DCO Secretariat.—PPI
