The people affected by the fire in the Arshi Shopping Mall have been given permission to visit their homes by the government.

Many people who had houses in the building have been unable to return since the fire on Tuesday, which killed five people and damaged property worth millions of rupees.

Authorities have now allowed the buildings residents to return to their homes in case they need to lock up or retrieve their possessions.

The visitors will be allowed to return in groups of two families at a time in the supervision of rescue officials.

A resident said that there were 72 flats in the building which were separate from the shopping mall and had sustained no damage. He added that the resident’s cars were still in the building’s parking lot.

Fire brigade officials have already clarified that there have been no reports of another fire in the building and the process of cooling is underway.

Caretaker Chief Minister Justice (r) Maqbool Baqir had recently visited the building where he was briefed that 130 shops and 74 apartments had sustained severe damage.

On the request of a displaced resident of the building, the CM had ordered that relief camps should be set up in two schools. The camps were ordered to provide water and electricity to people as well.