Karachi [Pakistan], December 18 : City planners, engineers, and architects expressed concerns over the effectiveness of regulatory bodies such as the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) for approving the construction of multi-storey residential, commercial, and industrial buildings without fire safety plans in Karachi on Tuesday during Second National Fire Safety Conference and Risk-Based Award Ceremony.
According to the Dawn, the architects also pointed out that 70 per cent of residential, commercial, and industrial buildings in Karachi lacked proper fire safety systems. They emphasized that the failure to follow building codes during construction has led to significant loss of life and property in fire incidents. The speakers warned that the fire safety issue had become critically severe, with over 3,000 fire-related incidents reported in the city this year alone.
At the 'Second National Fire Safety Conference and Risk-Based Award Ceremony', organized by the Fire Protection Association (FPA) at a local hotel, both local and internationally recognized experts urged the government and businesses to take immediate and effective action to address the critical situation, which poses a risk to millions of lives in the city, as reported by Dawn.
FPA president Kunwar Waseem stated, "Nearly 5,000 fire incidents have occurred in Karachi over the past two years. In 2023, there were 2,228 fire incidents, and by November this year, more than 2,900 fires had already been reported. The lack of adherence to fire safety regulations has led to significant loss of life and financial damages. We should move fast before it's too late and when we use the word "we" it means that this challenge demands collective efforts from both the government and businesses of the country".
The FPA president further highlighted, "In the past, joint fire safety and first aid training had been conducted in schools and colleges, but this practice has now ceased".
Tariq Moeen, director of training at the FPA emphasised that the buildings lacked even the emergency exits.
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