11 dead as fire engulfs multi-storey mall in Pak's Karachi city
Karachi, Nov 25: A massive fire tore through a shopping mall in Pakistan's Karachi city on Saturday, killing at least 11 people and injuring six, officials said.
The fire that broke out at around 7 am on the second floor engulfed the fourth, fifth and sixth floors of the shopping mall, but it was not clear what caused it.
Twelve fire tenders, a snorkel and around 50 firefighters were called to control the fire and rescue around 42 people in the building.
Chief Fire Officer Mubin Ahmed said that 11 people were killed and six injured in the blaze mostly due to smoke inhalation and panic as the electricity to the building had to be cut off to control the blaze.
Karachi Fire Rescue Commander Humayun Khan said the fire was probably caused by a short circuit.
Taking to X, Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab said, "Fire has been extinguished & cooling process is going on. I can so far confirm 10 casualties & 22 persons have been injured."
However, police official Summaya Syed said that so far 11 bodies have been brought to two hospitals.
Nine bodies were brought to Jinnah Hospital while 2 others were taken to Civil Hospital, she said, adding that the condition of 6 of those rescued was critical.
Mubin said they were still investigating the reason for the fire but just earlier this week, city planners and engineers at a seminar said they were sure some 90 per cent of structures in Karachi - residential, commercial and industrial - did not have fire prevention and firefighting systems.
They agreed that it was "criminal negligence" on the part of regulatory bodies like the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) that put the lives of millions of people in the metropolis at risk.
"The shopping centre did not have a fire extinguishing system. Being centrally air-conditioned, there was no way for the air to escape," he added.
Mubin said the mall's building has caught fire for the second time. "Two years ago there was a fire in the same building," he said.
A senior police official of the area, Raja Tariq said the building was a commercial high-rise that housed shopping centres, call centres and software houses. A statement from the Fire and Rescue spokesperson said the fire had since been controlled and the cooling process was now underway.
Tariq also said that last year a smaller fire broke out in the same mall but was controlled quickly and was caused by short-circuiting.
Sindh Caretaker Chief Minister Justice (retd) Maqbool Baqar has expressed regret over the loss of life in the wake of the deadly fire.
The chief minister has ordered urgent measures to control the fire and has asked for the injured to be provided immediate medical aid.
Karachi Deputy Commissioner Salim Rajput visited the site and ordered an inquiry into the incident.
"The buildings lacking security arrangements will be sealed. From tomorrow, all the deputy commissioners will collect data on buildings in their areas," he said, ordering for action to be taken after the collection of records within 30 days. "Legal action will be taken against those responsible," he added.
At a recent annual symposium of the Fire Protection Association of Pakistan (FPAP) in Karachi, experts said that around 12,000 to 15,000 people die in hundreds of fire incidents in the country every year, in which losses of hundreds of billions are also incurred due to violation of building codes, unavailability of fire safety arrangements, and lack of training and awareness among people.
Fire had been extinguished & cooling process is going on. I can so far confirm 10 casualties & 22 persons have been injured https://t.co/x3I873U7fG
— Murtaza Wahab Siddiqui (@murtazawahab1) November 25, 2023
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South African police arrest suspect in mass shooting that killed 12, including 3 children
Johannesburg (AP): A 32-year-old suspect has been arrested in connection with a mass shooting which claimed the lives of 12 people including three children at an unlicensed pub earlier this month, South African police said on Monday.
The man is suspected of being one of the three people who opened fire on patrons in a pub at Saulsville township, west of South Africa's capital Pretoria, killing 12 people including three children aged 3, 12 and 16.
At least 13 people were also injured during the attack, whose motive remains unknown.
According to the police, the suspect was arrested on Sunday while traveling to Botlokwa in Limpopo province, more than 340 km from where the mass shooting took place on Dec 6.
An unlicensed firearm believed to have been used during the attack was recovered from the suspect's vehicle.
“The 32-year-old suspect was intercepted by Limpopo Tracking Team on the R101 Road in Westenburg precinct. During the arrest, the team recovered an unlicensed firearm, a hand gun, believed to have been used in the commission of the multiple murders. The firearm will be taken to the Forensic Science Laboratory for ballistic analysis,” police said in statement.
The suspect was arrested on the same day that another mass shooting at a pub took place in the Bekkersdal township, west of Johannesburg, in which nine people were killed and 10 wounded when unknown gunmen opened fire on patrons.
Police have since launched a search for the suspects.
South Africa has one of the highest homicide rates in the world and recorded more than 26,000 homicides in 2024 — an average of more than 70 a day. Firearms are by far the leading cause of death in homicides.
The country of 62 million people has relatively strict gun ownership laws, but many killings are committed with illegal guns, according to authorities.
According to police, mass shootings at unlicensed bars are becoming a serious problem. Police shut down more than 11,000 illegal taverns between April and September this year and arrested more than 18,000 people for involvement in illegal liquor sales.
