Late fire response, lack of safety gear contributed to Gul Plaza tragedy: Traders’ association

• Association president in his submission to probing commission, says first fire tender arrived at 10:55pm and water exhausted within 20 minutes

• Additional tenders reached site by 11:30 pm as fire spread across ground floor

• Many more lives could have been saved had proper safety equipment been available: Pasha

• Rescue personnel lacked masks, safety equipment, foam, and chemical agents

 KARACHI: The slow pace of rescue operations and the late arrival of fire tenders contributed to the high death toll in the Gul Plaza fire, the Gul Plaza Traders Association President told the judicial commission investigating the tragedy.

In his submission to the commission, Gul Plaza Traders Association President Tanveer Pasta detailed that the first fire brigade vehicle reached the scene at 10:55 pm, but its water supply was exhausted within 20 minutes. Two additional fire tenders arrived by 11:30 pm, by which time the fire had already spread across the ground floor, he added.

Rescue personnel reportedly lacked proper equipment, masks, and safety gear, which made early attempts to enter the building and evacuate trapped individuals largely ineffective. Firefighters also did not have foam or chemical agents, forcing market management to arrange private water tankers until the Water Corporation supplied tanks after dawn, he said.

Pasta noted that initial rescue efforts were extremely slow, and effective operations only began after sunrise, by which point the fire had intensified significantly. Some trapped individuals were rescued through self-help efforts guided by location information.

He emphasised that, due to inadequate rescue facilities, many more lives could have been saved had proper safety equipment been available. Electricity outages also prevented formal announcements, leaving market administration and shopkeepers to guide people out using loud calls.

At the time of the blaze, over 3,500 people were present in Gul Plaza. While most were evacuated through 16 open exits, 72 people died, including 51 market workers.

The commission also noted that a shutter on the second floor was found closed, likely warped by the heat, though it had no lock. The building contained highly flammable materials, including artificial flowers, toys, garments, and sprays. Additionally, the roof housed seven diesel generators, five of which were operational at the time of the fire.