A voice note of a man trapped in the Gul Plaza fire has emerged on the social media in which he can be heard narrating his ordeal.
A fire broke out in the Gul Plaza on Saturday night, in which atleast 15 people have died and more than 65 have been injured.
“I am trapped from all sides in a merciless blaze with no chance of a possible escape, forgive me for any shortcomings or mistakes I ever made”, the voice note of a man trapped in the inferno said,
This heart-wrenching message is one of many that emerged amidst rescue operations that continue after 24 hours.
Death toll
During a press conference on Monday, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah addressed the bereaved families of victims, stating that 15 bodies have been recovered as of yet, with around 65 still missing, and a total death count climbing up to 80 people.
Rescue teams, including firefighters, told the media that little to no ventilation in the multi-storey building trapped all the deadly smoke emanating from the burning debris. Thick smoke on each floor made it even more difficult to reach the incapacitated victims, they further added.
The Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KWSC) provided 431,000 gallons of water to extinguish the blazing inferno, CM Murad added.
Rescue operations included 50-60 firefighters along with 16 fire tenders and bulldozers. The Sindh CM stated that Rescue 1122 ambulances arrived within six minutes after the deadly fire erupted at 10:36pm.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation, he added.
Relief and rehabilitation
CM Murad further announced a compensation of Rs10 million for each of the deceased person’s families. “We share their grief”, he said while reassuring the public that the distribution of relief packages will commence tomorrow.
A meeting was held by the Sindh CM with the affected business community representatives, where he made promises and vows to rehabilitate each business. A committee was also formed for recommendations regarding compensation and rehabilitation of affected traders.
President Asif Ali Zardari and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari have been closely following the rescue operations by repeatedly contacting CM Murad. He further said that it is in the best interests of the PPP leadership that local businesses be rehabilitated immediately.
With rescue operations still underway, the Sindh CM laid further emphasis on the need to formulate a comprehensive and sustainable fire-fighting plan.
A helpline has been established by the Sindh government to help locate missing persons and assist with local queries. They can be contacted at 0313-5048048, 021-99206372 and 021-99205625.
