Fire’s fury

Fire hazards stalk people around the world, the latest reminder of this coming in the blaze that broke out on New Year’s Eve at a multi-storey hotel in Dubai. But it is also true that in today’s age of technology and expanded awareness we possess the means to limit the damage caused by fire, provided we value human life enough to do so. It appears that we do not. And even our top, swankiest of establishments lack adequate warning systems or the training required to deal with a fire emergency. This was obvious at the five-star hotel in Rawalpindi where a fire broke out during the night between Tuesday and Wednesday. The precise reasons for the blaze, which began in a basement records room, are unclear – but what is disturbing is that guests who reported smelling smoke were simply asked to return to their rooms. No alerts went off even as smoke spread to other floors, and fire tenders arrived late. This time there were no casualties. Will we be as fortunate next time?

Certainly workers at a Gujranwala factory where a gas cylinder burst on Wednesday were not as lucky. One worker was killed and at least 30 others injured. Some remained buried under rubble for hours before being rescued. Exploding gas cylinders have become a hazard in Punjab over the past few years as the supply of piped gas dwindles, forcing people to turn to cylinders for domestic as well as commercial needs. The situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is similar, and we hear each year of accidents caused by improperly used or poor quality cylinders sold openly in the market. There is too little check on this, and too little value for human life. The latest fires in Rawalpindi and Gujranwala highlight this. There have been other blazes too. The fact that people, including staff on duty at public places such as the high-rise plazas cropping up now even in smaller urban centres, have so little idea of what to do in the event of an emergency increases the risks for everyone. As does the lack of fire-fighting equipment installed even at schools or other crowded buildings. We need to consider what the consequences of this neglect could be.