ISLAMABAD: Officials on Sunday urged parents to have their children administered anti-polio vaccine as Pakistan gears up for a nationwide inoculation drive from Oct 28.
The development comes amid a deepening polio crisis in the South Asian country, which has reported 41 polio cases so far this year.
The anti-polio vaccination drive aims to inoculate more than 45 million children across the country from Oct. 28 till Nov. 3, according to Pakistan polio program.
“Parents are requested to fully cooperate with polio workers,” Ayesha Raza Farooq, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s focal person for polio eradication, said in a statement.
“Parents must ensure vaccination of their children aged below five years.”
Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only two countries where polio remains an endemic.
Since late 2018, Pakistan has seen a resurgence of cases and increased spread of poliovirus, highlighting the fragility of gains achieved in the preceding three years.
Pakistan to vaccinate 45 million children in nationwide anti-polio drive
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Pakistan to vaccinate 45 million children in nationwide anti-polio drive
- Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only two countries where polio remains an endemic
- Since late 2018, Pakistan has seen a resurgence of cases and increased spread of virus
Debris removal steps up at Karachi fire-hit plaza as death toll nears 60
- KMC teams remove debris under safety precautions as search for the missing continues
- Authorities are keeping agencies on alert amid rain forecast as the site remains unstable
ISLAMABAD: Municipal and rescue teams stepped up debris removal operations at a fire-hit shopping plaza in Pakistan’s largest city of Karachi on Wednesday, as officials said the death toll from the blaze has climbed to nearly 60 and the search for missing victims continues.
Teams from the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) are clearing rubble from Gul Plaza, a multi-story shopping complex where a fire broke out late Saturday, under strict safety measures, with debris being transported to a designated ground in the city’s Meva Shah area, an official statement said.
“Rescue teams are continuously engaged in search and clearance operations to locate any remaining victims,” the statement circulated by the KMC said, adding that authorities were aiming to complete the process as soon as possible while ensuring safety.
Located in Karachi’s densely populated Saddar district, the fire at Gul Plaza burned for more than 24 hours before being brought under control. The blaze gutted more than 1,200 shops, triggered partial structural collapse and left dozens of people trapped inside.
With rain forecast in the coming days, authorities have placed all relevant departments on alert and are making contingency preparations to prevent further risks at the site, the KMC statement said.
The disaster at the shopping mall has renewed scrutiny of fire safety standards in Karachi’s commercial buildings, where overcrowding, illegal construction and weak enforcement have repeatedly contributed to deadly incidents.
Following the Gul Plaza fire, the Sindh Building Control Authority has warned developers and building owners to address fire safety violations or face legal action.
Deadly fires remain a recurring threat in the city of more than 20 million people, despite periodic crackdowns ordered after major disasters.
