Police have submitted a cost sheet within the Gul Plaza hearth case, holding the procuring centre’s administration primarily chargeable for the January blaze that claimed greater than 70 lives.
The three-storey procuring centre, which housed practically 1,200 companies, was engulfed in flames on Jan 17, elevating questions over hearth security measures and emergency preparedness on the constructing.
In line with the cost sheet submitted earlier than a Karachi courtroom on Saturday, investigators discovered no negligence on the a part of the Karachi Metropolitan Company (KMC), the fireplace brigade or Civil Defence.
Police have listed 87 witnesses and recognized severe shortcomings in hearth security preparations on the procuring centre. The cost sheet factors to alleged negligence by the Gul Plaza administration in addition to insufficient security measures contained in the constructing and particular person retailers.
CCTV footage and different proof collected throughout the investigation have additionally been made a part of the cost sheet.
In line with forensic findings, no explosive materials was discovered within the samples examined, whereas exams additionally detected no traces of flammable liquids. Nonetheless, particles related to burning had been present in some samples.
Administration knew of security deficiencies
The police findings comply with a judicial fee’s inquiry that additionally held the procuring centre’s administration chargeable for failing to handle recognized hearth security shortcomings.
A report issued by the Sindh House Division final month stated the plaza’s de facto administration was conscious of the deficiencies however did not take corrective measures.
The fee recognized shortcomings in all three key elements of fireside security – prevention, detection and firefighting – and located that the constructing lacked an built-in hearth security system.
Civil Defence inspection experiences for 2024 and 2025 had repeatedly flagged the absence of important firefighting services, together with hydrants, hose reels and hearth pumps. The experiences additionally discovered the fireplace alarm system to be unreliable or non-functional.
The fee additional highlighted the absence of skilled employees, common hearth drills and satisfactory rescue tools, saying the constructing was working with out the minimal preparedness required to reply successfully to a hearth emergency.
