Footage of major fires erupting in Istanbul, Turkey, and Islamabad, Pakistan, has reinforced the dangers of combustible materials being used in many high-rise buildings.
On 15 October 2022, a massive fire engulfed a residential building in Fikirtepe, in the Kadiköy district of Istanbul.
Building evacuation
While fire crews tackled the rising blaze, residents were required to evacuate the building via the stairs as the elevators were not working.
Local Turkish news, Oda TV, reported that the fire began on the first floor of the 24-story building and quickly escalated upwards through the external cladding. The outlet added that the cause of the fire was believed to be an air conditioner motor that had malfunctioned.
no injuries or loss
The fire broke out from the air conditioning system, there are 250 flats on average, and there was no loss of life"
The electricity of the building was cut off and neighboring buildings were also evacuated. One landlord, Mesut Kösedagi, told reporters, “The fire broke out from the air conditioning system. There are 250 flats on average, and there was no loss of life. My flat also burned down.”
CHP Istanbul Provincial Chair Canan Kaftancioglu later confirmed on Twitter that there had been no injuries or loss of life.
Fire in the mall
Just one week earlier, a large fire struck a popular shopping mall in Islamabad. Designed by British architectural firm WS Atkins, the fire at Centaurus Mall is thought to have begun at one of the restaurants located on the third floor of the building.
The area around the building was sealed, including several neighboring buildings, and the fire was contained inside the building.
Deficient fire safety system
Report says several appliances installed in kitchens of the food court and the control rooms had not been inspected
The Express Tribune reports that while the actual cause of the fire remains unknown, investigators found evidence of several failings in the food court, resulting in a “deficient” fire safety system.
Notably, Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad’s Emergency and Disaster Management Department discovered the presence of combustible materials. Their investigation also revealed that several appliances installed in the kitchens of the food court and the “control rooms of electricity and gas” had not been inspected since 2016.
Report highlights
While it is believed that the Capital Development Authority (CDA) was aware of the repeated failures of the management and that multiple notices had been served to the administration of Centaurus Mall between 2017 and 2021, not much had been done to improve the fire protection of the building.
In particular, the report highlighted the following:
- There was a history of “flagrant violation” of fire safety regulations.
- Automatic devices for fire prevention installed in the building were found to be “flawed”.
- The tenants of the food court were also violating fire and safety regulations.
- Materials used in the kitchens were not fire-resistant and supplies and fuels in the kitchen were also prone to fire.
- The wiring and equipment installed in the ceiling of the food court had not been “constructed” according to safety regulations.
- There are no trained firefighters at the mall – going against CDA by-laws, which state that firefighting personnel must be present at all times.
Importance of fire protection measures
Both of these international incidents are yet further examples of the risks around the use of cladding and combustible materials in the built environment.
As with numerous cases across the UK, avoidance of fire protection measures can have potentially disastrous consequences on livelihoods and surrounding areas, and they are stark reminders of the importance of the correct use of fire safety in high-rise buildings.