LAHORE, May 21: The report of the inquiry into the LDA Plaza fire has been finalised but kept secret by the Punjab government for unspecified reasons.

Official sources said on Tuesday the report prepared by a committee under communication and works secretary was submitted to the provincial government authorities on Sunday and was subsequently forwarded to the chief minister the same day.

Officials who received the report and forwarded it to the chief minister were tight-lipped over what it revealed. They also parried questions about the cause of the fire or whether it was accidental or deliberate. But they said it gave facts of how the fire broke out and how it engulfed four floors of the huge place.

“It is up to the chief minister to decide whether to make public the report or not. We will only follow orders,” a senior official said on the condition of anonymity.

But sources said it did mention claims and counter-claims by the LDA and the Rescue 1122 authorities holding each other responsible for the tragic incident during which at least 23 people were burnt or jumped to death.

Sources said the Rescue 1122 blamed the LDA authorities for not informing it of the fire for quite some time and claiming that they themselves were trying to put it out. They also accused the LDA authorities of not keeping clear and open the emergency exit and not following fire safety system intact. There was no smoke or fire alarm. And there were no or malfunctioning water hydrants that were necessary in all buildings to distinguish fire.

The LDA authorities, sources said, accused the Rescue 1122 of not possessing proper fire-fighting equipment or expertise.