A final fact-finding report into the deadly fire at Gul Plaza on MA Jinnah Road has identified illegal alterations to the approved building plan, serious safety lapses and administrative failures by multiple departments as key causes of the tragedy, sources said on Thursday.
The report, released by the Sindh government, says the blaze spread rapidly due to unauthorised changes in the building’s layout, absence of effective emergency exits and delayed firefighting and rescue operations.
It highlights shortcomings by at least three departments involved in fire response and safety oversight.
According to the report, the fire brigade received the first alert at 10:26 p.m., but the firefighting operation was delayed.
The fire was declared a third-degree blaze at 10:55 p.m. The Water Board’s first water bowser reached the site at 11:53 p.m., while uninterrupted water supply began around midnight.
The report states that firefighters and rescue personnel did not have cutters to remove iron grills, even though most people were trapped on the mezzanine floor. It noted that timely cutting of grills could have enabled the safe evacuation of several occupants.
Investigators found that the building lacked effective emergency exits during the incident, despite the approved plan providing six exit routes through the rooftop.
The report says these exits were either altered or rendered unusable due to unauthorised modifications, which significantly worsened the situation.
It further reveals that repeated fire safety audits by the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC), Civil Defence and the district administration failed to result in effective enforcement.
Despite repeated observations, changes were made to the structure without fulfilling safety and environmental requirements.
According to the approved plan, the building’s capacity was 1,102 people, which was later increased to 1,153. The width of staircases was reduced, while the number of entry and exit points was cut from 18 to 13, restricting movement during the emergency.
Separately, a 21-page inquiry report prepared by Karachi Commissioner and Additional Inspector General Karachi Javed Alam Odho has also been made public. It states that the fire originated in a flower and gift shop inside Gul Plaza.
The report terms it a grave act of negligence that the shop owner, Naimatullah, left the shop in the custody of an 11-year-old child. It says the fire broke out when a matchstick ignited artificial flowers, and the presence of highly flammable material caused the flames to engulf the building within minutes.
An eyewitness, a worker from a neighbouring shop, saw the fire start, the report says. It adds that the plaza’s watchman switched off electricity five minutes after the fire erupted, triggering panic among around 2,500 people inside the building.
An unsafe electrical system also contributed to the intensity of the blaze.
The report concludes that a combination of illegal construction changes, lack of fire safety compliance and delayed emergency response led to the scale of the disaster, and calls for strict accountability against those responsible.
