Days after the deadly Gul Plaza fire exposed weaknesses in Karachi’s emergency response, on-ground conditions at the city’s central fire office reveal deep operational failures. The situation has raised fresh concerns about the fire brigade’s ability to respond to major emergencies.
Geo News Pakistan’s investigation into the Karachi Fire Brigade found chronic power outages, water shortages, staff shortfalls, and communication gaps. These issues continue to disrupt firefighting operations across the city.
The findings emerged after at least 79 people lost their lives and three remained missing in the Gul Plaza fire. Delays in the emergency response drew widespread criticism.
An on-ground visit to the Central Fire Office, the original headquarters of the Karachi Fire Brigade, highlighted serious infrastructure problems. Officials said the facility faces repeated power outages throughout the day.
According to fire officials, electricity remains unavailable during multiple time slots. These outages affect vehicle dispatch and water filling for fire tenders.
Karachi not having basic fire fighting services is PPP's failure pic.twitter.com/yt4uxVgscZ
— The Pakistan Experience (@ThePakistanExp1) January 24, 2026Water shortages have added to the crisis. The Central Fire Office receives water only between 11:00 pm and 8:00 am, due to ageing pipelines. Staff store the supply in underground tanks before pumping it into emergency vehicles.
Read: Gul Plaza Fire Death Toll Rises to 71 as Recovery Enters Final Phase
In contrast, officials said some upscale areas and the Red Zone receive an uninterrupted water supply. The uneven distribution has further strained emergency preparedness.
Staff shortages have also weakened operations. The Karachi Fire Brigade faces a shortfall of nearly 450 employees. The emergency call centre has suffered the most. Only one operator handles four phone lines at a time, including the main emergency number 16. Officials said all mobile calls to 16 from across Pakistan route to the Karachi headquarters.
The operator must receive the call, verify the details, and relay the information to the fire stations. This process often causes delays and busy signals during emergencies. Communication problems persist even after fire tenders leave stations. The department lacks a wireless or dedicated communication system. Firefighters rely solely on mobile phones for coordination.
#GulPlaza tragedy was years in the making, marked by mismanagement, incompetence & alleged corruption.
Despite repeated orders from the authorities, SBCA, Fire Brigade & other institutions failed to act on fire safety in Karachi’s busiest commercial hubs.#SamaaTV pic.twitter.com/S1zjc3axOM
— SAMAA TV (@SAMAATV) January 27, 2026Officials said the brigade’s earlier communication network has remained non-functional since 2011. This gap affects response time and on-site coordination. Firefighters also face difficulties reaching incident sites due to heavy traffic and limited public cooperation. Staff said many motorists fail to clear paths for emergency vehicles.
Fire brigade employees reported that there was no insurance coverage. Firefighters injured or taken ill during duty must initially pay their own medical expenses.
Duty hours have increased to 12 hours, according to staff. Overtime payments that once compensated longer shifts are no longer available, adding to concerns about morale and working conditions.
