KARACHI, Aug 24: A seven-member inspection committee of the Karachi Building Control Authority (KBCA) was finally allowed on Friday to inspect the fire-ravaged building of the Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (PNSC) to ascertain its status as a foreign forensic expert concluded his probe into the probable cause of a fire that had broken out on Aug 19.

According to sources, the forensic expert interviewed eight more people who were present in the building when the fire broke out and also cross-examined some of the already interrogated people.

They said that the expert collected samples from the debris and had also photographed several parts of the building. The expert was scheduled to leave the country on Friday night and he would submit his report after forensic examination of the collected samples, the sources said.

The KBCA chief Rauf Akhtar Farooqui, who heads the inspection committee, told Dawn that the committee members would meet on Saturday to reach a consensus on the issue.

“We have thoroughly examined all fire-hit floors of the building and an initial inspection report would be prepared in two or three days”, he added.

KBCA chief said they had reached the PNSC building around 11:30am and continued the inspection till 1:45pm along with Dr A.Q. Alvi , who had designed the building’s structure.

The KBCA investigation team included two structural engineers, Siddique Isa and Arif Qasim, two architects, Mohammed Sami from the Pakistan Engineering Council, KBCA building controller Mohammed Arif and KBCA building structure controller, Mohammed Shafique.

Mr Farooqui, however, said that the KBCA team would require another inspection of the site after the removal of the debris and the water accumulated during the fire-fighting efforts after which the strength of the building would be examined with various equipment including electronic hammers.

One of the members of the KBCA committee, who wished to remain anonymous, told Dawn that the building was apparently in good shape despite the devastating fire. “No column bulging or buckling was observed,” he added.

He said that the KBCA team neither observed any tilting in the main members, nor were there any structure cracks.

“Apparently the building is not losing weight as no loading effect was observed”, he said.

However, he said, the building required heavy repair work as the plaster of ceilings of some floors was broken due to intense heat but the steel in the ceilings did not melt.

The KBCA inspection committee member said that the designer of the building, who was with them during inspection, also appeared satisfied with the strength of the building.SP Keamari Town Kamran Fazal, representing the city police in the joint investigation team, said that the foreign expert grilled people in the presence of the team members and we would re-examine all of them.

The SP said that investigation team was taking into consideration all the aspects of the outbreak of the fire, which was second in the past six months.

“Since both incidents took place on Sundays when the building was almost empty, a proper investigation into the recent fire incidents was required to see whether it was an accident or an intentional attempt”, he added.