Gul Plaza Association president says exits were open, power cut was a safety measure

Karachi: The President of the Gul Plaza Traders Association, Tanveer Pasta, has explained the reasons behind the suspension of electricity at the plaza during the deadly fire incident.

Speaking to the media at the site of the tragedy, Tanveer Pasta said that market access routes were not blocked, the emergency ramp remained open, and there were two operational exit routes from the mosque.

He stated that electricity at Gul Plaza was shut down purely as a precautionary measure. Had the power not been disconnected, he said, even those who managed to escape would not have been able to get out safely.

Meanwhile, the scope of the investigation into the Gul Plaza tragedy has been expanded. Authorities have decided to conduct chemical examinations of samples taken from the bodies recovered from the site.

According to sources, laboratory tests will determine whether the presence of chemicals inside the building contributed to the rapid spread of the fire.

Investigators are also examining the factors that caused the blaze to intensify so quickly.

So far, the deaths of 61 people have been confirmed in the incident, while 86 individuals are still reported missing.