KARACHI: The Sindh Education Department has issued fire safety guidelines for private schools in the province following the Gul Plaza tragedy.
In a notification, the School Education Department on Tuesday ordered immediate implementation of the instructions in all private educational institutions.
The guidelines make it mandatory to install fire alarms, smoke detectors and fire extinguishers. Schools have also been instructed to keep emergency exits and stairways open and clearly marked.
The directive states that regular inspection of electrical systems in schools will be mandatory. Schools were also ordered to post emergency evacuation plans in prominent locations.
According to the instructions issued, conducting fire drills at least twice a year has become mandatory. Fire safety training for teachers and staff has also been declared mandatory.
The guidelines further ask schools to ensure special safety arrangements for students with special needs. The determination of an assembly point was also made obligatory.
The Sindh Education Department said strict action would be taken against schools that fail to comply with the instructions.
A huge fire ravaged Gul Plaz on the night of January 17, after which the iconic mall – a multi-storey complex of 1,200 mom-and-pop stores selling children’s clothing, toys, tableware and household items – was reduced to ashes. More than 70 bodies have been found and searches are underway to find more.
