City on fire

According to experts, each year in Pakistan, over 16,000 deaths and between 175,000 and 200,000 injuries as well as massive property damage occur due to fire. These are rather alarming facts. While it has been obvious for decades that Karachi lacks the capacity to successfully combat fire and that its fire tenders are in an extremely dilapidated condition, the first step to undoing such damage is recognising that it exists. Sindh Minister for Environment Taimur Talpur recently openly conceded that a massive problem exists in this respect. He said that the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation’s fire department had to be updated urgently if it was to be brought to a position where it could tackle the major fire-fighting deficiencies it suffered. The minister said that, while the Sindh government was aware of this, strict rules on procurement were for delaying the purchase of new equipment.

This however is hardly a reason to permit further loss of life. A way around the problem has to be found. Alarmingly, while in the 1990s up to 70 fire engines were available to tackle fire emergencies in the country’s most heavily populated city, this number has now dwindled to 12. Poor maintenance and neglect is obviously a factor in this. Just as significant is the need to implement laws on construction, especially in high-rise buildings, to ensure emergency fire exit routes and to acquaint people with the necessary drills. Few buildings currently possess suitable emergency exits. Services like 1122, which operate in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, are also badly needed in Karachi and Sindh.

We need to remember that fire in a congested area is a major catastrophe. The consequence of such catastrophes has been seen in residential areas, commercial plazas, factories and other places. In some cases, teams from the fire department lack hoses to pour water over burning buildings or reach stories and upper floors. There is also some question on whether they possess the training on how to rescue people or calm situations where panic naturally exists. Techniques on these factors are changing rapidly around the world. We need to keep ourselves updated and Karachi in particular must find a way to acquire the technology, expertise, law enforcement and awareness which together could save people from terrible deaths inflicted by fire and smoke inhalation.