Five people died and over 20 sustained injuries when a plaza caught a fire on MA Jinnah Road here on Sunday, with traders showing concern over ineffective firefighting efforts, Dunya News reported here. More deaths are feared as several people are trapped in the plaza. Traders blamed the government for inaction, which caused casualties and losses worth billions of rupees. They demanded compensation and effective measures to prevent such incidents in future.
The blaze took place in the ground and first floors of Gul Plaza on Jinnah Road. Initial report suggested that five people had lost their lives after suffocation and stampede. Sindh Interior Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar have taken notice of the plaza fire and issued directives for route clearance to reach out to the fire site by the firefighters and Rescue 1122 to douse the inferno at the earliest.