A fire safety inspection of 266 buildings located on Karachi’s three main roads—I.I. Chundrigar Road, Sharae Faisal, and Shahrah-e-Quaid-e-Azam—has revealed alarming safety gaps. The audit showed that only six buildings had proper fire safety arrangements in place. Even though the inspection was carried out on January 1, 2024, most of its recommendations have still not been put into action as of 2026.
According to the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) report, more than 200 buildings were missing basic firefighting equipment such as extinguishers and hoses. Around 62 percent of the buildings had no proper emergency exits, making evacuation during a fire extremely difficult. In addition, about 70 percent were found to have poor-quality or unsafe electrical wiring, which increases the risk of fires breaking out.
The report also highlighted that only 90 out of the 266 buildings were equipped with fire alarms and smoke detectors. This means the majority of occupants may not receive timely warnings in case of an emergency.
The audit recommended that deputy commissioners ensure better facilities for the fire brigade and urged the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) along with building owners and residents to take immediate corrective measures. However, officials admitted that there has been little to no follow-up on these recommendations.
These findings underline a serious lack of enforcement of fire safety laws in Karachi. Without strict action and regular inspections, the risk of major fire-related accidents remains high, putting thousands of lives and properties in danger.
