KARACHI, Pakistan — At least 67 people have been confirmed dead in a devastating fire that tore through the Gul Plaza shopping complex in Karachi, according to police and hospital officials, as rescue teams continue searching for missing victims amid the burned-out ruins of the building.
The blaze erupted late Saturday night at the multi-storey commercial centre located on M.A. Jinnah Road, rapidly spreading through hundreds of shops filled with flammable goods including clothing, plastics, and cosmetics. The fire raged for more than 48 hours before being fully extinguished, officials said.
Authorities reported that many victims were found in fragments due to the intensity of the fire, making identification difficult. Families of the missing have been providing DNA samples at hospitals in hopes of identifying their loved ones. Some relatives have criticised rescue operations as slow and have attempted to enter the damaged building themselves.
Rescue workers said dozens of bodies were recovered from a single shop on the mezzanine floor where people had reportedly taken shelter during the blaze. The death toll is expected to rise further as search operations continue in unstable sections of the collapsed structure.
Investigators believe the fire may have been caused by an electrical short circuit, though a formal inquiry is ongoing. Officials also cited poor safety standards, locked exits, and lack of emergency preparedness as key factors that worsened the disaster.
The Gul Plaza fire is being described as Karachi’s deadliest blaze in more than a decade, highlighting persistent safety concerns in the city’s commercial buildings. Karachi has previously witnessed similar deadly incidents, including a 2012 factory fire that killed more than 260 people and a mall fire in 2023.
The Sindh government has ordered an investigation into the tragedy and announced compensation for the families of victims, while emergency services remain on high alert across the city.
Originally Published By: Associated Press (AP News),Reuters and Arab News
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