KARACHI: Decades-old, valuable records of the Sindh Board of Revenue (BoR) and some other government departments were reduced to ashes when a suspicious fire broke out in the record room of the BoR offices located in Barrack 79 of the Sindh Secretariat, Karachi, on Thursday morning.

The intensity of the blaze could be judged from the fact that, despite all efforts by the city firefighters, the fire engulfed the entire building and reduced it to ashes within a few hours.

The decades-old building, which housed the BoR, provincial Social Welfare Department, Women Crisis Centre and Sindh Arms Services Board, is located opposite to the MPA hostel and a short distance from the Sindh High Court (SHC) building.

Astonishingly, the fire once again broke out on a holiday - Thursday being a provincial holiday as declared by the Sindh Governor, Dr Ishratul Ebad, on account of 11th Rabiul Awal. This added to the suspicions that the blaze could possibly be an act of sabotage aimed at destroying the record of allotments of lands in the province.

A labourer, Rahim Dad, who was working outside the BoR building told The News that the fire broke out at around 10.00 a.m. and there were people inside the building who came out after smoke started emitting from one corner of the record room.

“Firefighters reached the spot when one corner of the building was completely engulfed in flames. I don’t exactly know the time when the fire erupted and when the fire tenders reached here as I have no watch,” he said and added that nobody tried to extinguish the fire except the firefighters.

According to the initial information, one Ali Muhammad Abbasi contacted the police Helpline 15 Saddar office at 10.05 a.m. and informed them about the eruption of the fire. The helpline quickly passed on the information to the city fire brigade.

Fire fighting vehicles rushed to the scene and initiated a rescue operation using a snorkel to control the blaze that spread speedily owing to the wooden interior of the BoR building. Later, a number of Edhi and Chippa ambulances, police and Rangers also reached there and surrounded the barrack.

Firefighters knocked down a small iron door to reach the burning rooms. Some 13 vehicles, including an automobile rescue unit and two snorkels, took part in the operation.

Senior member of the Board of Revenue, Syed Anwaar Haider, who also guided the firefighters in controlling the blaze, was found sobbing after watching the entire barrack’s destruction due to the inferno.

He told journalists on the spot that 50-60 years’ worth of surveys, lands and revenue records as well as settled claims were burnt in the fire but said that, fortunately, the nearby offices of the land utilisation department remained safe.

“I still don’t know what the cause of the fire was but I’m feeling as if I have lost my son,” the aggrieved official added.

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