The only consistent lesson from Karachi’s recurring fire tragedies is that neither the government nor much of the public discourse remains focused on the most basic issue: saving lives. After every inferno, the same script is replayed: violations of safety rules, Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) failures, political blame games, delayed response times, water shortages, and malfunctioning engines. These points may all be valid. But for those trapped inside burning buildings, suffocating behind locked exits, such arguments are meaningless.

At Gul Plaza, victims were calling family members, pleading for rescue. The fundamental question is not who owns the building or which constitutional amendment governs the city. It is far simpler, and far more disturbing: why could these people not be saved? Why, despite firefighters being present, did lives continue to be lost?

Firefighting is not a single act; it is coordinated teamwork. Any weak link—equipment, building design, internal suppression systems, command coordination, access routes, ventilation control, or rescue planning—can transform an emergency into a mass casualty event. In both the Gul Plaza and the Baldia factory fire of 2012, water-only suppression proved inadequate once the fires became deep-seated.

Water is indispensable in the early stages of a blaze. But when fire spreads through sealed commercial units packed with plastics, textiles, chemicals, and synthetic materials, externally applied water often functions primarily as a cooling tool. It struggles to penetrate locked interiors and smouldering stockpiles. Without functional internal sprinkler systems, compartmentalisation, or advanced suppression methods, re-ignition becomes likely.

At Gul Plaza, fresh flames reportedly broke out even after initial control had been announced. This was not merely a water shortage issue. It reflected gaps in containment, penetration, and coordinated suppression.

Gul Plaza Fire Exposes Karachi’s Deadly Failures In Fire Safety And........

© The Friday Times