Fire-ravaged Arshi Mall declared ‘liveable after some repair’

The Arshi Shopping Mall, located near Karachi’s Ayesha Manzil area, was engulfed by a devastating fire on Wednesday. Initially, the civic authorities raised concerns that the residential-cum-commercial building could collapse at any time, but it has now been declared ‘liveable after some repair’.

SSP Central Faisal Abdullah Chachar said the Sindh Buildin Control Authority's (SBCA) technical committee declared the fire-ravaged building ‘liveable’ after an examination.

The building includes 450 residential flats on the upper four floors and 250 shops on the ground floor, including shops of furniture, mattresses, and petroleum products on the mezzanine floor.

According to the fire chief, only one flat was destroyed on the third floor while the rest were saved, and two more flats suffered ‘minor damages’.

A technical team of the SBCA visited the building upon the request of the fire chief to examine the strength of the structure. However, he claimed that since only one flat was destroyed, the building would be ‘liveable’ after repair.

Earlier, some of the witnesses said that they called firemen, but they reached the spot after half an hour till then the flames engulfed the whole building.

The fire chief said there was no ‘emergency exit’ in the building. Besides, there was also no firefighting equipment, he added. Moreover, the SBCA has de-sealed the first four floors of the building.