Technical panel to evaluate safety profile of fire ravaged Islamabad mall

By Muhammad JuniadPublished On 04 Jan 2023

The Islamabad district administration has decided to formulate a technical committee to investigate the fire that engulfed The Centaurus Mall in the city as well as determine if the property has been constructed while adhering to the Capital Development Authority (CDA) rules.

Deputy Commissioner (DC) Irfan Nawaz outlined that the fact-finding panel will also probe if the fire emergency system was active at the time of the incident.

“The evacuation and rescue procedures will also be reviewed by the committee,” he said adding that they will check if fire emergency drills were ever conducted for the mall staff to ensure the safety of people.

The DC also stated that there is no restriction in place for shopkeepers to carry goods outside the mall premises.

He negated the accusation of political revenge slapped by the mall administration and said that the three towers will be opened only after the inquiry committee declares it safe for the public.

“We are trying to save lives,” DC Nawaz stressed while admitting that the work should have been done earlier.

He assured that the district administration was not in favor of causing financial strain on anyone and only undertaking measures for public health and safety.

The matter will be taken forward in the light of the report of the technical committee, the DC concluded.

The inferno

Emergency services put out a huge fire that broke out during lunch hour at the Centaurus Mall in the heart of Islamabad on Sunday.

Police confirmed that everyone in the shopping center was evacuated and no casualties were reported.

Social media footage and images showed a huge trail of smoke emanating from the mall engulfed in flames as people tried to evacuate the building to save lives.

The inferno had taken over the food court, which was at the time packed with visitors.

The CDA said the fire was under control after two hours.