Islamabad, March 23 (NationPress) Authorities in Pakistan are investigating the possibility that drug addicts attempting to steal copper from the basement triggered the recent fire incident at Gul Plaza in Karachi, according to local media reports.

On Sunday, flames engulfed the basement of Gul Plaza once again, just under two months after a catastrophic fire at the same location that resulted in the loss of over 70 lives.

In light of the incident, Acting Deputy Commissioner South, Amir Fazal Owaisi, indicated that the fire likely originated from the actions of drug addicts, and further inquiries are currently being conducted.

Upon arrival, police and fire teams found several individuals inside the building, suspected of having entered to steal wiring and other materials, as reported by Pakistani daily Express Tribune.

It has been reported that one individual was discovered unconscious in the basement.

The Nabi Bakhsh Police shared that the injured person, identified as a drug addict, had entered Gul Plaza with accomplices intent on theft.

Authorities believe the fire ignited when the suspects attempted to extract copper by burning wires found within the debris.

While the injured individual was trapped in the flames, his accomplices managed to escape. The victim, who exhibited signs of injury such as bleeding from the ears and nose, has been transported to Civil Hospital for treatment.

Recently, President of the Gul Plaza Mall Management Committee, Tanveer Pasta, informed Pakistan's judicial commission that is probing the devastating fire from January 17 that rescue services arrived late and failed to evacuate those trapped during the critical early hours of the incident.

While responding to a questionnaire from a single-judge commission led by Justice Agha Faisal of the Sindh High Court, he asserted that the building's exits remained open and functional during the fire.

Pasta criticized the rescue efforts as being excessively slow, stating, “The rescue services only became proactive after Fajr prayers, but by then it was already too late, as the fire had spiraled out of control,” according to Dawn.

He alleged, “The responders were ill-equipped, lacking tools, masks, and equipment necessary to enter the building and rescue survivors from the mezzanine floor. No fire-fighting foam was available, and no attempts were made by the responders to rescue survivors in the initial hours of the fire.”

The enormous fire that broke out at Gul Plaza on the night of January 17 sparked public outrage, with citizens criticizing the Sindh government and the Karachi Mayor for their delayed response.