KARACHI: The death toll from a devastating blaze, which overtook Karachi’s Regent Plaza Hotel rose to 12 with the recovery of another body on Monday evening.
The fire engulfed the hotel in the wee hours of Monday, leading to the death of 11 people, including thee women.
According to rescuers, another dead body was recovered from a hostel room. The victim was identified as Dr Alam Jamali.
The stampede that the raging fire triggered Sunday night 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.
According to medics, 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.
“We have received 11 dead bodies and 75 injured, four women were among the dead,” Semi Jamali, a doctor at Karachi’s Jinnah hospital, said.
Most of the victims had suffered from smoke inhalation or suffocated, Jamali said.
Some people were injured after jumping from windows to escape the blaze.
Senior Superintendent of Police Saqib Memon said the cause of the fire in the Regent Plaza Hotel 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.
