Rawalpindi: At least seven killed in plaza blaze and collapse

[Naveed Yaseen]

ISHFAQULLAH SHAWL & SEHRISH WASIF
ISLAMABAD (December 21 2008): At least seven people were killed and 63 injured when Gakhar Plaza, a six-storey business centre, in Rawalpindi caught fire at 3 am on Saturday and in 12 hours' blaze half of the building collapsed, as a result of which over 40 people were buried under the debris.

The cause of fire was not known up to filing of this report. Whereas the administration claimed that the fire erupted due short-circuiting, but people did not agree, and termed a terrorist activity, an act of arson. Rawalpindi District Administration confirmed death of four persons, while eyewitnesses claimed that more than 40 people were under the debris.

Till filing of this report, the fire had not been controlled, and rescue teams and fire fighters were trying to control it. The fire was so severe that some people who were trapped inside jumped from the upper stories to save their lives, and two persons got serious injuries while trying to jump out from the plaza and were taken to hospital.

According to sources, some of people were still trapped in the debris and rescue operations were in full swing. Screams of people under the debris were heard by rescue teams. According to the people present at the incident site, people under the debris were contacting their relatives through cell phones and were screaming to be taken out.

Witnesses said that rescue teams were facing serious problems in controlling the fire as around 90 percent shops were already burnt to ashes, as most of the shops were of garments, due to which fire spread quickly throughout the building.

Talking to reporters, City Police Officer, Rawalpindi, Iqbal said that fire was of serious nature, but fire fighters were making all-out efforts to put it out, and hoped that fire would be brought under control in a couple of hours. Emergency was declared in the all hospitals of the twin cities and ten injured persons were shifted to different hospitals.

A massive rescue operation was underway to retrieve around a dozen fire-fighters and volunteers feared trapped in the collapsed building, situated in the heart of city.

Rescue No 1122, Fire Brigade from Rawalpindi Cantonment, District Government and Islamabad joined the fire fighting operation. Pakistan Air Force helicopters were put in operation. Yet the 12-hour long fire damaged the building so much that it resulted in collapse of the building. Rescue 1122 officials said that the fire could have been caused either by power short-circuit, or by a burning heater.

The near by Cantonment General Hospital and other buildings were saved and patients in the hospital were safe. Gakhar Plaza was the largest shopping centre of Rawalpindi. It housed more than 400 stores, selling garments, electronics, shoes and leather goods. The authorities were trying to clear the area, fearing that the remaining structure might collapse anytime.

Heavy construction machinery was being brought in to remove the heavy concrete beams to reach out to the trapped people. Army contingents were moved to join the rescue efforts at the site of shopping centre that collapsed after over a 12 hour long blaze.

The contingents of military engineers along with earth moving equipment's were rushed to the site. Meanwhile, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) spokesman said that the Authority had arranged two helicopters for fire extinguishing at the plaza.

He said that senior officials of the Authority were in continuous co-ordination with the local authorities, including district Nazim and DCO, to ascertain the developing situation. "Only one death and 8 injuries were confirmed due to fire," he said before the Plaza collapsed.

Shahid Zafar, owner of Gahkar Plaza, said that the incident was result of the recent Mumbai attacks, and it was a pre-planned action. He said that there was no truth that the plaza had caught fire due to short-circuit. If this was the case then the fire would not have spread like this, he added.

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