The death toll from the fire that had caught Arshi Shopping Center at Ayesha Manzil in Karachi on Wednesday has risen to five, while one person is reported to be injured, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Thursday.
The rescue operation and the cooling process, which continued till late into the night, were at last completed, while the search operation was underway till last reports came in.
Fire brigade vehicles remained on standby in order to deal with any emergency.
According to rescue officials, the building’s ground floor was worst affected.
Personnel of different departments, including Fire Brigade, Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC), the police, Rangers and Pakistan Navy participated in the rescue and search operation.
SBCA seals Arshi Shopping Center
On the other hand, on the order of the Deputy Commissioner Karachi Central, Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) sealed the shopping center’s building late Wednesday night.
Spokesman for the SBCA said that the purpose of sealing the building was to prevent people’s entry.
He informed that after the cooling process was over, the building’s inspection would be done on the basis of which it would be determined whether the building was still fit for use. “Later a report would be submitted to the concerned officials,” the spokesman elaborated.
The fire that broke out at the shopping center yesterday quickly spread to adjacent shops and eventually engulfed The Mall.
According to the officials, three fire brigade vehicles were dispatched to the scene to control the blaze.
However, they faced difficulties in extinguishing the fire due to the large amount of foam stored in the shop. The foam acted as a fuel and intensified the fire, they said.
The fire officials also said that they were trying to prevent the fire from reaching the nearby gas station and causing a major explosion.
Reporter: Shahzeb Hussain