Gul Plaza president blames slow rescue response for fatalities in fire tragedy

KARACHI (Dunya News) - The president of the Gul Plaza Association, Tanveer Pasta, has submitted his response to the judicial commission regarding the Gul Plaza fire tragedy.

According to Tanveer Pasta, a major cause of the fatalities was the slow and insufficient arrangements by rescue services.

The first fire brigade vehicle reached the scene at 10:55 PM, and its water supply was exhausted within twenty minutes.

Two additional fire tenders arrived at 11:30 PM, by which time the fire had already engulfed all sides of the ground floor.

He added that rescue personnel lacked proper equipment, masks, and protective gear, preventing them from entering the building during the critical early hours to rescue trapped individuals.

Firefighters also did not have foam or chemical extinguishing agents, further complicating efforts to control the blaze.

The market administration arranged private water tankers on their own initiative, while the Water Corporation’s tankers were provided after dawn.

Early rescue operations were very slow, and active emergency efforts only began after sunrise, by which time the fire had intensified significantly.

Tanveer Pasta further stated that once information about the locations of trapped individuals became available, some people were rescued through self-help.

However, due to the lack of proper rescue facilities, many could not be saved.