LAHORE – Nine days after the Shah Alam market fire, smoke still rises from the rubble of the collapsed buildings, Pakistan Today has learnt. Rescue workers are yet to have extinguished the fire. Rescue 1122 officials along with other City District Government agencies have claimed to have removed the debris but are still unable to determine the fire’s cause.
Rescue 1122’s response is facing question marks as the DG Rescue 1122 had claimed the day after the fire that they had rescued everyone trapped in the buildings and claimed no one was present in the plazas. To the contrary, eight bodies were recovered during debris removal at Shah Alam. On Tuesday, four more bodies were recovered by rescue workers from the debris with the recovered bodies toll rising to eight.
Three more bodies were recovered from the Qadri plaza and identified as Muhammad Kammal (30), Shamsul Haq (33) and Sohail Shah (35). All three were belonged to Bonair and, Swat. Rescue officials said they worked at the men worked at the ‘tandoor’ of a hotel based in the Qadri Plaza. They also revealed that all the deceased were close relatives of each other. Rescue officials said the bodies were decomposed and burnt.
Protests: However, the cause of the fire is still to be determined. With Rescue 1122 workers joined by Solid Waste Management (SWM) and Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) still working to remove the debris, Shah Alam market traders staged a protest against rescuers and the government for the delays in removing the debris. They claimed government officials would only visit for photo opportunities.
Protesters demanded that Chief Minister Punjab Mian Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif, yet to visit the fire site, visit and assess the losses himself. Protesting victims threatened the government if they were not compensated for the fire, they would go on a hunger strike.
Rescue 1122Director General Dr Rizwan Naseer said the search for recovering bodies shall continue. He expressed the hope that traders would follow building regulations and take appropriate fire safety measures after the fire to ensure the safety of residents and their own investments.
