THE factory fire in Karachi left profound sorrow in our mind and also made us realise that we are far behind developed countries where safety measures at workplaces are concerned.

It also showed the government’s failure and negligence in handling disasters.

The first negligence was that the factory was not registered under the Factory Act. All employees working there were not enrolled with the EOBI. Safety equipment had not been provided to the workers. The infrastructure at the factory was not suitable as there was only one entry and one exit point.

There was no fire extinguisher, no fire alarm, no fire or smoke detector. In short, there was no safety/precautionary equipment.

The employees had not been provided any training in case of an accident or disaster.

Why has not the government checked issues regarding negligence at the factory? Why couldn’t the government control the fire on time and prevent so many people from dying?

HAFIZA OMAIMA BAIG Karachi