Islamabad, Jan 23 (NationPress) Out of over 160 high-rise structures in the Rawalpindi district of Pakistan's Punjab province, only one complies with the fire safety regulations mandated by the government, as reported by local media.

In response to the tragic fire incident at Karachi's Gul Plaza mall, which has resulted in 71 fatalities, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has ordered a comprehensive survey and the installation of fire hydrants in these high-rise buildings. Sensitive areas have been identified, reassessed, and relevant authorities have been instructed to adhere to fire safety standards, according to Pakistan's prominent daily, Dawn.

The sole compliant high-rise, alongside the mall, meets essential fire safety requirements established by the authorities, including the installation of fire hydrants and emergency exits for fire incidents. Moreover, the building is equipped with fire alarms, detection systems, and sprinklers, and it has a dedicated team ready to execute evacuations within a minute of an emergency call, the newspaper reported.

District Emergency Officer (DEO) Rescue 1122 Rawalpindi, Sibghat Ullah, informed Dawn that the Rawalpindi station is equipped with 19 fire vehicles and over 300 trained fire fighters ready to manage emergencies.

He noted that buildings must possess exit stairs, external fire hydrants, be encroachment-free, and include fire extinguishers, a detection and alarm system, internal hydrants, sprinklers, and conduct fire drills. A total of 127 buildings that failed to meet these fire safety regulations received their first notice to comply.

Among the 127 buildings, the remaining 82 received a second notice, while the last 16 were issued a third notice to adhere to fire safety standards according to their classification. Only two buildings received a final notice. Recommendations have been made to the relevant department to seal those buildings after ignoring the third notice, as reported by Dawn.

Meanwhile, the death toll from the Gul Plaza fire incident in Karachi has increased to 71 as search teams continue to recover bodies, with hopes to complete the operation by late Friday, according to The Express Tribune.

Amir Hassan, in charge of the identification desk at the Citizens-Police Liaison Committee (CPLC), revealed that four bags containing human remains were brought to the hospital overnight, suggesting these remains could belong to four individuals, raising the potential death toll to 71.

Deputy Commissioner South, Javed Nabi Khoso, stated that 77 individuals remain missing and that the search operation is nearing its conclusion, with rubble clearance expected to finish by Friday night.

The rescue operation in the shopping mall has extended into its seventh day on Friday. The largest fire in Karachi in over a decade ignited on January 17 and quickly engulfed the Gul Plaza shopping complex.