KARACHI: At least 11 people including three doctors and four women were killed in yet another blaze that overtook Karachi’s main hotel early Monday.
The stampede that the raging fire triggered left at least 65 people injured; of them, most people have broken bones injuries. Panicked with advancing fire, they jumped from the floors to save their lives. Bodies and the wounded have been shifted to Jinnah Hospital.
According to details, the city’s Regent Plaza located at Shahra-e-Faisal overnight caught fire that within no time engulfed a major part of the chic hotel, leaving 11 people including three doctors dead and scores others wounded.
"We have received 11 dead bodies and 75 injured, four women were among the dead," Head of emergency at Jinnah Hospital, Dr. Semi Jamali said.
“Some foreigners were among those being treated for burns,” she said.
“Most people were affected with suffocation caused by the widespread smoke of the fire that was put out after nearly two hours with the help of three fire-tenders and snorkels,” she added.
“Most of the victims had suffered from smoke inhalation or suffocated,” Jamali said.
“Meantime, bodies of three women could not be unidentified so far,” she said. Jamali.
The hospital also released a list of wounded people as well.
Some people were injured after jumping from windows to escape the blaze.
Pakistan middle order batsmen Sohaib Maqsood and Umar Amin were wounded during the stampede.
It should be mentioned here that the cricketers are part of United Bank Limited (UBL) team. They were staying at Regent Plaza hotel to take part in Quaid-e-Azam Trophy.
Meantime, Under-19 player Yaseen got a fracture in his leg after he jumped from the second floor to save his life.
Sixteen Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) cabin crew members belonging to Islamabad and Peshawar also received injuries, a PIA official said.
Mayor of Karachi Waseem Akhtar visited the site of the incident and while talking to media, he said the fire has been controlled but the cause of the fire could not be determined as of yet. He said rescue work was hampered due to absence of an emergency exit and spread of heavy smoke.
Police Senior Superintendent Saqib Memon said the blaze erupted in hotel’s kitchen however the cause of the fire was not clear and an investigation had been launched.
Memon confirmed the death toll and said it took three hours for the fire to be brought under control.
Building fires in Pakistan are often caused by faulty wiring or electrical short-circuits.