KARACHI, Aug 30: The report of the foreign forensic expert, who conducted an investigation to ascertain the cause of the PNSC building fire, will reach the authorities here by Sept 6.

Sources said the PNSC authorities were anxiously awaiting the outcome of the foreign expert’s probe as a joint investigation team continued its investigation.

During his three-day investigation, the expert interviewed more than two dozen people who were present in the building when the fire broke out. He also collected samples from the debris and photographed several parts of the building.

Brig Rashid Siddiqui, PNSC’s director of administration, told Dawn that renovation and repairs of the fire-wrecked building could start within a couple of weeks.

He said a cleanliness operation in the building was under way and debris was being removed from the affected floors. “Renovation and repair work will begin once the building is completely cleansed of wreckage,” he added.

The PNSC official said the building was intact and it would be in full use after repairs. “Our consultants are also of the opinion that the building is not dangerous to use,” he said.

Meanwhile, the sources said the seven-member inspection committee of the Karachi Building Control Authority, which had inspected the fire-ravaged building of the Pakistan National Shipping Corporation to ascertain its status, had also cleared the building.

The KBCA investigation team, headed by KBCA chief Rauf Akhtar Siddiqui, comprised two structure engineers, Siddique Isa and Arif Qasim, two architects, a structure engineer from Pakistan Engineering Council, Mohammed Sami, KBCA building controller Mohammed Arif, and KBCA building structure controller Mohammed Shafique.

The sources said the KBCA committee would submit its initial report in a couple of days. However, they said, the KBCA committee would conduct another inspection of the building after it was cleaned up.The sources said the three-member joint investigation team, comprising investigators from police, the IB and the ISI continued to interview people. They said the JIT was also eager to know the cause of the fire to adopt a line of action in the investigation.