A detailed report by the Karachi Water Corporation has revealed serious delays and coordination gaps during the Gul Plaza fire incident, raising questions about emergency preparedness and response systems in Karachi.
The report, submitted to the Commissioner Karachi, provides a timeline of events and highlights how late arrival of water tankers affected firefighting efforts.
According to the report, the fire at Gul Plaza broke out at around 10:15 pm. The fire brigade received the first information about the incident at 10:26 pm, and the first fire tender reached the site at 10:37 pm, just 11 minutes later. However, the situation worsened as the intensity of the fire increased rapidly.
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At 11:31 pm, Chief Fire Officer Humayun Khan sent an urgent message in a WhatsApp group that included officers from the fire brigade and Karachi Water Corporation.
In his message, he described the fire as uncontrollable and requested immediate dispatch of water tankers. Officials said that only after receiving this message did they realize the severity of the fire.
Within five minutes, an emergency was declared at the Nipa and Safora hydrants and two water tankers, each with a 3,000-gallon capacity, were dispatched to Gul Plaza.
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The first two water bowsers arrived at the site at around 12:08 am, nearly one and a half hours after the fire started. The timings were verified using Safe City cameras, according to the report.
The report further noted that the distance from the Nipa hydrant to Gul Plaza is about 14 kilometers, while the Safora hydrant is around 21 kilometers away.
During the operation, a foam vehicle of the fire brigade was forced to stop after running out of diesel, creating additional obstacles for the incoming tankers, the report added.
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Officials present at the scene stated that by the time the water tankers arrived, several fire brigade vehicles had already run out of water.
The situation was further complicated by dozens of motorbikes parked on both sides of the road near the Gul Plaza signal, which slowed the movement of emergency vehicles.
More water bowsers arrived at intervals of five to seven minutes, and within an hour, more than ten tankers were present at the site.
In total, over 1.9 million gallons of water were used to control the fire. Multiple organizations, including the Fire Brigade, Rescue 1122, Safe City authorities, and Karachi Water Corporation, have been instructed to submit their reports for further investigation.
