12 Killed, 80 Injured In Hotel Fire In Karachi

KARACHI, Dec 5 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 05th Dec, 2016 ) : In all, 12 people including four females were killed and 80 others injured in a fire incident in a local hotel on Monday, the doctors and the officials of Edhi Ambulance service said.

They said that the fire had erupted in Regent Plaza Hotel located on one of the major city's thoroughfares in the wee hours of today. The injured were rushed to the nearby Jinnah Post Graduate Medical Centre (JPMC).

An official of the Central Fire Brigade said that the fire had started from the kitchen of the hotel located on the first floor. The smoke spread to the rooms as well. According to the Joint Director of the JPMC, Dr.

Seemin Jamali, those killed in the fire included five doctors, one nurse and a couple- husband and wife.

She said that of the 80 injured brought to the JPMC were suffering from suffocation, breathlessness, `air hunger', cuts, bruises and fractures.

The injured included cricketers lodged there for participating Quaid-i-Azam trophy matches. Dr. Jamali said that the injured were treated at the JPMC Emergency Department and were later discharged.

According to official of the Central Fire, the blaze was put out by the fire tenders after two hours' struggle. An official of the Chief Minister House said that Chief Minister, Syed Murad Ali Shah, taking prompt notice of the fire incident, has ordered an inquiry.

The Governor Sindh, Justice (Retd) Saeed uz Zaman Siddiqui, also called for an inquiry. He also sought a report from Commissioner Karachi regarding the fire incident.