11 killed in fire
in Karachi shopping mall
Karachi, Nov 25: A massive fire tore through a shopping mall in Pakistan’s Karachi city on Saturday, killing at least 11 people and injuring six, officials said. The fire that broke out at around 7 am on the second floor engulfed the fourth, fifth and sixth floors of the shopping mall, but it was not clear what caused it. Twelve fire tenders, a snorkel and around 50 firefighters were called to control the fire and rescue around 42 people in the building. Chief Fire Officer Mubin Ahmed said that 11 people were killed and six injured in the blaze mostly due to smoke inhalation and panic as the electricity to the building had to be cut off to control the blaze. “Our teams are still searching for anyone still in the building but we rescued 42 people, all males who were present when the fire broke out around 7 am this morning,” he told PTI. Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab confirmed that nine persons were killed in the fire but Police official Summaya Syed said that so far 11 bodies have been brought to two hospitals. Mubin said they were still investigating the reason for the fire. (PTI)
3K Sikhs in Pak
for Nanak’s birth anniv
Lahore, Nov 25: Around 3,000 Indian Sikhs arrived here in Pakistan’s Punjab province on Saturday through the Wagah Border to participate in the festivities in connection with the 554th birth anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak Dev, the founder of the Sikh religion. Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) Additional Secretary (Shrines) Rana Shahid Saleem, Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (PSGPC) Pardhan Sardar Ameer Singh and other officials greeted the visiting pilgrims at the Lahore border. “Around 3,000 Indian Sikh Yatrees arrived here to attend the festivities in connection with the birth anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak. We have made foolproof security arrangements, accommodation and travelling facilities for Sikh pilgrims,” Saleem told reporters. He said although there has been an agreement that some 3,000 Indian Sikhs would be accommodated for Baba Guru Nanak’s birth anniversary the ETPB is ready to accommodate more Sikhs. “We welcome more than 3,000 Sikhs from India for this occasion if India allows them,” Saleem said. (PTI)
Avalanche kills
5 mountaineers
in west Iran
Tehran, Nov 25: An avalanche killed five mountain climbers and injured four others in west Iran, state media reported on Saturday. A report by the state-owned IRNA news agency said rescue teams recovered the bodies of five climbers from San Boran peak, some 300 kilometers (about186 miles) southwest of the capital Tehran. The other four injured were taken to hospital. The report said the 9-member team of climbers began their journey on Thursday despite a warning by local authorities about possible risk. The peak, the highest of the Oshtrankooh mountain range at 4150 meters, witnessed heavy rain and snow in recent weeks. Iran has occasionally seen deadly avalanches. In 2020, a series of avalanches killed 12 people in a mountainous area north of Tehran. (AP)