High-rises at high fire risk

[Salman]

High-rises at high fire risk

KARACHI - Despite tall claims of Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) majority of buildings constructed in recent past remain without fire safety system.
According to details, builder mafia is constructing scores of multi-storey buildings, plazas and commercial centers across the city reluctant to abide by the by-laws of SBCA in various means and have not even bothered to fix fire extinguishing systems putting residents at high risk.
While talking to The Nation Chief Fire Brigade Department, Ehtaishamud Din, said that around 98 percent high-rise buildings including residential plazas, shopping centers, business centers and others remain without fire safety system some even missing emergency exits.
He said that SBCA and other concern department should take serious action against builder mafia.
Ehtaisham citing an incident said that around 250 people lost their lives due to lack of fire safety measures and non functional of emergency exit of Ali Enterprise, Baldia Town.
He cited another fire incident at the State Life Building where installation of fire safety system protected the lives of at least one thousand people.
An official of SBCA said that most of multi stories buildings in Garden , Bahadurbad, Tariq Road, Saddar, Nazimabad, Liaquatabad, North Karachi and other areas of the city were without a Fire Safety System although SBCA had approved the building plans with installation of fire extinguish system. He said that only less than five percent builders follow by-laws.
Couple of year ago, SBCA initiated a survey the high-rise buildings for action against the violators but no action has been taken yet.
Though the SBCA reserves the right to seal buildings for not following by-laws and impose fine. SBCA Director Ali Mehdi told The Nation that they check each building under construction and takes actions against those not abiding laws.
He said that they seal number of buildings and take actions against violators. On the other side, sources privy to the matter revealed that no action has been taken against the builders for not installing fire extinguishing system.