At least 12 people were killed and some 75 others injured due to huge fire erupted in a hotel, here on Monday, the police said. The fire broke out at the kitchen of a multi-story hotel at the city's busiest Shahrah-i-Faisal at around 3 am that engulfed major portion of the building, leaving dozens of hotel inmates stuck. The blaze was doused after two hours with the help of three fire-tenders and snorkels. Rescue teams moved the victims to nearby Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) for medico-legal formalities and treatment, respectively.
"We have received 11 bodies and 75 injured, four women were among the dead," said head of the emergency at JPMC Dr Seemi Jamali adding that some foreigners were among those being treated for burns. It is relevant to note that another fire victim succumbed to burn wounds raising the death toll to 12. She said that most of the victims were affected due to suffocation caused by the widespread smoke. She said that most of them suffered from smoke inhalation or got suffocated. Some people were injured after jumping from windows in their bids to escape the blaze.
United Bank Limited cricket team's players were also among those injured in this incident. They were staying at the fourth floor of the hotel and woke up soon after the fire. Players Yasim Murtaza and Karamat Ali sustained injuries. Pakistan middle order batsmen Sohaib Maqsood was also present at the hotel however he remained safe. Some of the players helped rescue the families stuck in the hotel.
A Pakistan International Airline (PIA) spokesman said that 16 crew members of the PIA also sustained injuries in the fire and most of them were discharged from hospital while some were still undergoing treatment. Earlier, the Mayor of Karachi Waseem Akhtar visited the site of the incident where he talked to media. He said the fire was controlled but the cause of the fire could not be determined as yet. He said rescue work was hampered due to absence of an emergency exit and spread of heavy smoke.
Senior Superintendent of Police Saqib Memon said the blaze erupted in the hotel's kitchen but the cause of the fire was not clear and an investigation had been launched. Faisal Edhi of the Edhi Foundation said the rescue operation was difficult because people were communicating with trapped guests in Urdu, which some foreigners did not understand. He said no one was there to guide rescue workers inside the hotel.
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah ordered the civil defence department to inspect and investigate whether the hotel had the arrangements to extinguish the fire and present a report in this regard. Deceased victims were identified as Dr Mohan, 40, Dr Raheem Solangi, 45, Dr Sher Ali Khwaja, 57, Haqdad, 40, Iliyas Babar, 42, Noreen, 35, Muhammad Hassan Bux, 48, Waqas Hameed, 65, three bodies of women could not be ascertained till the filing of this report.
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