KARACHI – At least 125 bodies out of 289 found dead in fire in a garments factory located in Baldai Town were handed over to the families after identification at different hospital in Karachi while rest of the unidentifiable bodies were shifted to the morgue for DNA test.
Karachi Commissioner Roshan Ali Shiekh while talking to TheNation said at least 289 people were killed in the tragic incident and feared more bodies trapped inside the building. He said at least 125 bodies of the factory employees were handed over to the heirs after the identification from Civil Hospital, Abbasi Shaheed Hospital and Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre and other bodies had shifted to morgue for identifications where authorities have claimed to take DNA test of all unidentifiable victims. He added that 50 percent people died due to suffocation and others were burnt in the fire. Mostly burnt bodies were not able to be identified which necessitated the Sindh Health Department to start work for getting samples of the burnt bodies for identifications through DNA.
He informed that a high-level inquiry committee has been formed under the supervision of Deputy Commissioner South to probe into the incident with different aspects. The committee initially would investigate Labor Department, Home Department and SITE limited Association because Labour Act, Factory Act and Civil Act are directly responsible in the acts. He also directed committee to submit the detail report of incident within three days and also urged to explain the cause of fire erupted in the factory and why factory owner locked all the exit point of the factory.
On other side, the civic authorities started blame game and held responsible each other for the tragedy.
The officials of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) said that fire tenders immediately rushed to the spot and started rescue operation and were trying to extinguish the fire. 
Interrupted water supply was the major cause behind the suspension of operation, they said and added that proper availability of water would had reduced the death toll.
They pointed out that fire tenders and rescuers of other civic authorities including Cantonment Boards, Karachi Port Trust, Bin Qasim Port Authority, Navy and others did not immediately respond despite information being provided by the Fire Brigade Department.
Police officials when contacted said that they rushed to the site before anybody else and shifted the injured from the second floor of the building to the different hospitals. They said that fire brigade headquarters being informed about 5:40 pm reached there at 6:20pm although the distance was not much far. Wireless sets installed in the fire brigade vehicles were removed in 2008 due to national security basis that was an another major reason behind delay in the operation.
He added that total 13 fire tenders and two snorkels were operational on the ground because seven fire tenders and one of snorkel were out of order. Administrator KMC Muhammad Hussain in a media briefing claimed that 22 vehicles were rescuing the victims.