Islamabad: Belated arrival of CDA fire engines caused greater loss

[Naveed Yaseen]

By Fazal Sher
ISLAMABAD: Capital Development Authority’s (CDA) failure to rush its fire engines to the burning Marriott Hotel during the Saturday’s suicide bombing caused more loss of human lives and property.

Until 8:10 pm the flames had not engulfed the entire hotel building, and had the CDA fire engines reached the scene soon after the blast, the fire could have been brought under control to minimize the loss of human lives and property.

A senior official of district administration said that the belated arrival of CDA fire engines and lack of proper firefighting equipment caused more loss.

He said the authority had recently purchased Rs 600 million worth of firefighting equipment, but it could not use it to control the hotel fire and prevent its further spread to other sections.

The official said that unavailability of a fire brigade sub-station was another major reason for the late arrival of fire engines at the scene.

He said after the devastating quake in 2005, the CDA bosses had decided to establish a Disaster Management Cell (DMC) in the capital, but the decision was yet to be implemented.

He said according to CDA the DMC would consists of Emergency Preparedness Framework (EPF), vulnerability assessment, planning, institutional framework, information system, resource base, warning system, response system, public education and rehearsals.

Directorate of Municipal Administration (DMA), CDA, Director Momin Agh told Daily Times that their fire engines had reached the hotel “within minutes” of the bombing and started rescue work.

He said the firefighters had used the latest 68-meter ladder and other equipment to control fire. Since flames had taken hold of almost the entire hotel building, they took a lot of time to be brought under control, he added.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp...008_pg11_2