Fire in Islamabad's Red Zone doused

ISLAMABAD: The fire which broke out at the Awami Markaz building in the Red Zone was contained Sunday afternoon, district government officials said, after the incident left two people dead.

The fire burnt record of federal tax ombudsman's office to ashes. The building also housed a project office of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and reports suggested that the record of Rs50 billion worth project was also burnt.

However, the Ministry of Planning and Development denied such reports saying that there was no question of CPEC documents being present at Awami Markaz office.

"The CPEC Center of Excellence was formed six months ago, with the purpose to find new ways to further cooperation between the two countries. No documents relating to bilateral agreements in the past or future projects were kept there," a spokesman for the ministry said.

Meanwhile, the Foreign Office also said the CPEC office was completely safe following the incident. It said the center is used for research and it does not have official documents or data of the billion-dollar corridor.

Two people were killed and at least five injured after the fire erupted initially in the morning.

A four-member committee, headed by additional deputy commissioner, has been constituted to identify factors behind the incident.

The blaze which had reportedly been "cleared" by the capital's fire department on Sunday re-emerged before it was finally contained by the efforts of firefighters and the Pakistan Navy.

The building, located close to the PTV headquarters and a five-star hotel, houses several private and government offices and was declared the Software Technology Park 1 earlier. 

Initial reports stated that the fire erupted in the upper floors of the six-storey building, however, later officials said the fire began on the ground floor near an office of the Federal Tax Ombudsman. The record placed in the ombudsman's office was also said to have been completely destroyed. 

Rescue officials said the two people who died did not need to jump from the building as a fire exit was available. They added that the two worked at a call centre inside the building and were injured from the fall. They were shifted to separate hospitals but succumbed to their injuries. 

Seven fire tenders were on site to douse the flames the first time around, according to rescue officials. The firefighters were able to extinguish the blaze in around an hour and later continued the 'cooling efforts' after which they left the venue. 

However, sources said when rescue teams began going floor-by-floor, sparks led to another fire which was fanned by ongoing winds in the city. 

Acting Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Farasat Khan, talking to Geo News, explained that when the cooling operation was under way on the third and fourth floors, the fire restarted after it received oxygen as the doors were opened by rescue staff. 

"All measures are being taken to control the situation," he assured. 

Sources said the fire was reportedly caused by short-circuiting but investigations will determine the exact cause of the flames. 

Two vehicles parked in the building's parking area were also damaged as a result of the fire. 

Rangers and police were on site to assist in rescue efforts when the incident occurred, according to sources. 

Sources said the acting deputy commissioner of Islamabad has formed a three-member committee to probe the incident.