Gul Plaza Association President Blames Slow Rescue Operations for Tragedy

The president of the **Gul Plaza Association**, **Tanveer Pasta**, has attributed the deaths in the Gul Plaza fire to delays and inadequacies in rescue operations, according to his submission to the judicial commission investigating the incident.

In his response to the **Gul Plaza Commission**, Pasta stated that the first fire brigade vehicle arrived at 10:55 a.m., but its water supply was exhausted within 20 minutes. By the time two more tenders arrived at 11:30 a.m., the fire had already spread across all three sides of the ground floor.

He further criticized rescue teams for lacking proper equipment, masks, protective gear, foam, and chemicals. Initial rescue efforts were slow, forcing market management to arrange private water tankers. According to Pasta, rescue activities only became more active after dawn, by which time the fire had intensified. Some trapped individuals were helped out by fellow market members, but many could not be saved due to insufficient rescue facilities.

The association president also mentioned that power outages prevented formal announcements, so staff and shopkeepers had to guide people out by calling loudly. He claimed that the ineffective action of official rescue agencies worsened the situation.

Pasta noted that around 3,500 people were present in the plaza, with most successfully evacuated through 16 open exits. During inspections, a shutter on the second floor was found closed but not locked, likely due to fire damage affecting its spring mechanism.

Regarding hazards inside the building, he reported that **flammable items** such as artificial flowers, toys, garments, and sprays were stored in the plaza, and seven diesel generators were installed on the roof, five of which were operational. Of the 72 casualties, 51 were market employees or associated with the plaza.

Judicial commission sources revealed that Tanveer Pasta did not provide details of shop ownership, legal records of the shops, maintenance collection procedures, or bylaws of the unregistered association.

The submission underscores concerns over inadequate preparedness and response by official rescue agencies, which may have contributed significantly to the high death toll.