Daily Times

The fact that yet another factory fire in Karachi resulted in the deaths of more than a dozen people by asphyxiation because practically no safety regulations were followed shows that no nobody has learned any lessons from so many such incidents over the last few years, particularly the Baldia factory fire that killed about 250 people a decade ago. The chemical factory that was gutted was also, like so many others, in a thickly populated area and, according to reports, had only one exit. And when that got jammed because of the fire the workers couldn’t get out and simply inhaled smoke till they dropped dead.

Right now there’s the usual rush involving the Sindh CM taking notice and asking for an immediate report and all sorts of concerned departments making the same old promises, but very soon the news cycle will turn and everybody will forget what happened on Friday; that is till the next similar tragedy. And it simply beggars belief that authorities have not pulled their act together even though numerous incidents of this kind have taken place in Karachi over the years. What will it take, after all, to make authorities force factories to follow fire safety procedures and make sure that there are fire exits in working areas as required by the law?

Police have registered a case against the factory owner for ignoring safety rules. And while that is little comfort to the people that died and their suffering families, such things can still make a difference in the long term but only if they are properly followed through to the end. Sadly, though, far too often these people are left off the hook because the case is never followed properly or the right palms are greased in the proper manner or some other reason, and so the cycle goes on. It is, therefore, up to the PPP government in Sindh to make sure that all possible steps are taken to ensure strict compliance with all safety procedures at all times. Disasters and tragedies are a natural part of life, but not when they are easily preventable. This is precisely when the law must take its course and make whoever is guilty pay very dearly. *