CM orders safety audit of Sindh’s hotels, factories

Approves proposal to get third party involved to ensure ISO standards

Sindh’s chief minister has directed the managements of hotels, factories and other establishments operating across the province to meet all precautionary safety measures, warning them of strict action in case of non-compliance.

Murad Ali Shah presided over an emergency meeting on Monday to review the Regent Plaza inferno that claimed a dozen lives and left 75 injured.

CM Shah was informed that around 2:45am a fire broke out in the ground-floor kitchen of the four-star hotel located on Sharae Faisal. It took the firefighters three hours to douse the blaze.

The thick smoke penetrated into every room through the AC ducts, suffocating some of the guests as others jumped out of their room windows and perished.

The chief executive was told that the hotel had carried out its last safety inspection towards the end of last year. When he enquired why the mandatory audit was not conducted every three months, he was informed that the management was uncooperative.

Expressing his disapproval, Shah directed Home Secretary Shakeel Mangnejo to carry out a thorough inquiry into the civil defence authorities’ failure to ensure that the hotel had working fire extinguishers.

He directed Chief Secretary Rizwan Memon to authorise all the assistant commissioners to head the civil defence committees in their respective areas. He emphasised up-to-the-minute training for all civil defence employees. He also directed the CS to constitute a committee for making safety inspections at every hotel, factory and other establishments. “Inspection means inspection; not harassment,” clarified the CM. “And report to me within the next 48 hours.” As for Local Government Minister Jam Khan Shoro, he was directed to expedite the purchase of firefighting equipment, especially those that help rescue stranded people.

The LG minister suggested that the inspection be carried out through a third party so that ISO certification of the safety measures could be ensured. Shah approved the proposal and directed the CS to make the necessary amendments in the law if necessary.

It was also suggested that the hotel and factory managements be bound to get their establishments inspected on their own expenses as done by CNG filling stations. Shah directed the CS to go over the proposal and make recommendations.

Earlier, immediately after returning to Karachi from Lahore, CM Shah had stopped by the Aga Khan University Hospital to ask after the injured.

The emergency meeting was also attended by Sindh police chief AD Khawaja, Karachi Commissioner Aijaz Khan, Health Secretary Dr Usman Chachar and Chief Fire Officer Masood Alam.

MQM-P lambasts govt

Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan chief Dr Farooq Sattar expressed shock and grief over the Regent Plaza inferno that claimed a dozen lives and left 75 injured in the wee hours of Monday.

In a statement, Sattar accused the administration of the four-star hotel of criminal negligence. He demanded that Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah immediately furnish the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation with snorkels, fire engines and most modern equipment to tackle huge fires.

The MQM-P chief lamented that even though there have been quite a few similar incidents in the past, the government is yet to take any concrete measure to improve the situation.

Meanwhile, Karachi Mayor Waseem Akhtar, who had rushed to the scene of the incident, expressed disappointment over lack of emergency exits and fire alarms at the hotel.

He said the hotel management was powerless at the time of the incident and could not help rescue the guests. He comforted and expressed sympathy with those who lost their loved ones in the blaze.