LAHORE – Despite a lapse of 10 days, many questions continue to hover around the devastating Mochi Gate fire including whether missing persons have died under the rubble, pace of the clean-up operation and compensation to the affectees. The clean-up operation is going on very slow and victims are looking forward to the agreed compensation they are supposed to get.
Shop owners and businessmen have expressed concerns over working of the City District Government Lahore (CDGL). Eight bodies have been recovered from the spot while one person remains missing. Ali Qadri, a direct victim of the fire, said that the Punjab government is still not clear on how to execute the rehabilitation drive.
He said that only those bodies have been recovered, which were not buried too deep and expressed concern that at the present pace, it would take many months to clean-up the area. Qadri alleged that rescue teams have only cleared the way to the burnt buildings alleging that 50 percent of his building has been burnt but nothing has been conveyed to him yet.
The trader complained that damage estimating teams had visited the area but victims were still waiting for any response. Mochi Gate Traders’ Association head Kashif Sheikh said that it would take more than two months to only clear up lanes approaching the burnt buildings. He said that the government is doing its best with the given parameters.
“Lack of machines and resources are worsening the situation,” Kashif said. Sheikh said that the government did not have enough resources or machines to tackle the situation. He said that people had built three basements in one building and water has flooded them. The trader said that the Bahria Plaza owner had given the clean-up task to a private company.
He urged the government to first clean-up the area and then estimate the damages and feared that more bodies would surface in days to come.
