Rimpa Plaza seals after deadly Gul Plaza fire

Following the deadly fire at Gul Plaza in Karachi, the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) sealed Rimpa Plaza, located next to the shopping mall, on Wednesday.

The tragic fire incident at Gul Plaza, located on M.A. Jinnah Road, claims at least 28 deaths so far, with dozens reported missing. This major fire incident at Gul Plaza has made Rimpa Plaza, which is already over four decades old, unstable and unsafe.

After conducting a joint visit by Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) officials and senior Pakistan Engineering Council engineer Arif Qasim, the building was sealed off for measures to ensure public safety. SBCA issued a notice to the owners and occupants, declaring the structure damaged, unsafe, and dangerous. Several portions of Gul Plaza collapsed during the fire, with debris falling onto the ramp area of Rimpa Plaza and damaging its structural columns.

The inspectors declared that the affected part of Rimpa Plaza was highly hazardous to human life and property. The owners were instructed to immediately terminate the use of the affected area and dismantle dangerous structural elements. SBCA also ordered that repair and strengthening work be done under the supervision of a qualified structural engineer, in line with building laws and regulations.

On the other hand, management of Rimpa Plaza denied that the building is unsafe. The representatives of the management had to say that the overall structural integrity is intact and that damage is limited to a wall in the parking ramp caused by falling debris from Gul Plaza. They termed reports to the contrary to be baseless and misleading.

The fire has raised questions about safety measures in buildings as well as the need for fire safety preparations in case of similar disasters in urban areas. The authorities are monitoring the situation while the rescue activities are ongoing.