Most of Rawalpindi’s High-Rise Buildings Lack Fire Safety

It has been revealed that out of 163 high-rise buildings, only one commercial building is considered safe.

According to the Punjab Community Safety Building Regulations, Rawalpindi has 163 high-rise buildings, but only one has a fully functional automatic fire safety system.

Rescue sources said that all 163 high-rise buildings have been classified. Only one hotel building has been declared fully safe under Category A.

Eleven buildings in Categories B and C have incomplete fire safety systems, while 151 buildings placed in Category C are completely unsafe.

According to rescue officials, seven commercial buildings lack proper entry and exit points, automatic fire extinguishing systems, and smoke exhaust mechanisms.

Meanwhile, 151 buildings have no safety equipment, emergency exits, or automatic smoke evacuation systems at all.

Rescue sources added that last year, Rawalpindi recorded 1,712 fire incidents, resulting in four deaths and 107 injuries. Rawalpindi ranks third in Punjab for fire-related incidents.

They also noted that the average emergency response time of Rescue 1122 last year was less than eight minutes.