KARACHI - The inquiry tribunal formed by the Sindh government to ascertain the cause of fire in garment factory, which killed over 289 people, has completed its proceedings of recording statements of witnesses and would submit report tomorrow (Friday).Headed by Justice (r) Zahid Qurban Alvi, the inquiry tribunal, notified on September 12, was asked to submit its report within two weeks. So far, the inquiry tribunal has recorded the statements of the witnesses including government officers from Labour Department, EOBI, Social Security Institution, SITE trade limited of industries department, chief fire officer, medicolegal officers of government hospitals, owners of the factory, injured workers as well as survivors of inferno. The inquiry tribunal on Wednesday recorded the statements of the medicolegal officers of the Jinnah, Civil and Abbasi Shaheed Hospitals, who submitted their reports about the dead bodies, of which some were completely burnt.After recording the statements, the head of tribunal, Alvi in his observations expressed sadness over lack of facility of chemical examination to ascertain the cause of fire in factory. Earlier, Dr Abudul Haq, MLO of Karachi Civil Hospital submitted the autopsy report of dead bodies of workers, who killed in fire tragedy in the garment factory. The MLO of civil hospital said that out of total 15, five dead bodies were beyond of identification because these were completely burnt. When the tribunal chief asked about any chemical examination of dead bodies, the MLO of Karachi Civil Hospital replied that there was no chemical examination done of the dead bodies, which could help find whether the chemical was cause of the fire or not.The MLO said that the hospital had not chemical examination facility of dead bodies. He suggested the tribunal in its inquiry report to incorporate the recommendation of chemical examination laboratory to ascertain the cause of fire in city, where hundreds of industrial units established. Medicolegal officer of the Civil Hospital told the tribunal that carbon dioxide could be the main reason of a large number of deaths. Medicolegal officer of Jinnah Hospital Dr Jagdesh Kumar said that total 70 dead bodies arrived in the hospital, of which some were beyond identification. He supported the views of his colleague of Civil Hospital and said that the people could not take breath due to spreading of carbon dioxide in the area, so they went unconscious and burnt alive.Meanwhile, Shahid Hassan, inspector of Forensic Laboratory appeared before the inquiry tribunal, but he failed to submit the record of examination carried by them in inferno factory, excusing the tribunal that the in-charge of the laboratory was out of country. The reply of the inspector of forensic laboratory annoyed the tribunal chief Alvi, who commented that the laboratory is not willing to share its record with the tribunal. Meanwhile, Alvi said that he had completed recording of statements, hoping that the he will submit inquiry report within stipulated time of two weeks.






