“Chund minto main zindagi bhar ki kamaye rakh ho gaye,” say Karachi’s Arshi Shopping Mall fire affectees

In a heart-wrenching incident on December 6, a five-storey building, named Arshi Shopping Mall, situated at Ayesha Manzil area of Karachi caught fire, claiming five lives and injuring one.

The shop owners and residents claimed that the Fire Department team arrived at the scene approximately 30 minutes after the initial outbreak, resulting in the loss of nearly 250 shops and the front portion of the residential building.

Distraught shop owners estimated the collective loss of goods to be between 30-35 crores and the residents have lost their cash, jewelry, and other valuable things

A resident of Arshi Square expressed anger over the absence of fire extinguishers in the market, where inflammable items like furniture, mattresses, and petroleum products were stored.