KARACHI: The rescue and search operation at Gul Plaza entered its sixth day on Thursday, with rescuers making arduous efforts to recover and find 88 people still missing in the aftermath of the blaze.
A day earlier, the death toll from the inferno climbed to 60 after 30 charred bodies were recovered from a single crockery shop of Gul Plaza.
The discovery was made after rescue teams moved to the mezzanine floor, following a pause in operation on the first and second floors.
Shop No. 144, where the bodies were discovered, was identified with the help of a shopkeeper who had seen people entering the shop during the incident. The victims reportedly took refuge inside the shop after a stampede erupted in the mall during the fire’s initial moments.
Confirming the number of people still unaccounted for, the Missing Persons Cell of the South District deputy commissioner said that 15 more bodies have been identified.
The deceased include Mohammad Shehroz, Misbah, Maryam, Kashif, Aamir, Faraz, Farooq, Farqan, Mohammad Ali, Tanveer, Mohammad Rizwan, Churchill Masih, Sarfraz Noor, Mohammad Saad and Mohammad Usman.
The Gul Plaza fire on MA Jinnah Road has emerged as one of the most devastating fire incidents in Karachi’s history over the past decade.
Precautionary power cut
Speaking to the media, Gul Plaza Traders’ Association President Tanveer Pasta refuted the reports claiming that most of the shopping centre’s gates were closed at the time of the incident.
“The entrances to the market were not closed, the emergency ramp was also open, along with the entrance of the mosque,” Pasta added.
He further admitted that the electricity in the shopping complex was cut off as a precautionary measure, and the people who managed to get out would not have been able to do so if the power hadn’t been shut down.
Separately, Rescue 1122 officer Muhammad Saleem, in a statement, said that a path is being carved out to find the missing people under the rubble and a search operation was underway at various locations.
Meanwhile, apprising that post-mortem of 48 bodies has been completed, District South Deputy Commissioner Javed Nabi Khoso said that a search operation is underway to retrieve bodies feared trapped under the debris.
Khoso also noted that notices are being issued to buildings that do not have fire safety arrangements.
Noting that the removal of debris through machinery has been temporarily stopped due to the risk of building collapse, the DC said that the rescuers have re-entered the building to research it again.
Search operation cannot be conducted in the collapsed parts of the building due to the rubble, Khoso said, adding that a search will be carried out in the collapsed portion of the bulding once the debris is removed.
“DNA samples of the bodies and family members are being taken. There are some organs whose DNA [identification] is difficult,” he remarked.
He also said that an investigation is underway to ascertain why the building’s gates were closed, and statements of various individuals have been recorded in this regard.
Timeline
As per the timeline of the incident established via CCTV footages, the sources say that the fire in the shopping centre, which housed over 1,200 shops, broke out at 10:07pm on Saturday (January 17) at the back side of the building. Ambulances began arriving at the scene at around 10:12pm.
The flames became visible on the MA Jinnah Road side — the front side of the plaza — at 10:18pm. It took approximately 11 minutes for the fire to spread from the back of the plaza to its front, sources added, citing the officials.
After 39 hours of continuous firefighting efforts, the fire was finally brought under control. So far, 60 bodies have been recovered from the smouldering remains of the shopping centre.
Burnt bodies and human remains recovered from the debris have left families of missing individuals in deep anguish.
The Gul Plaza inferno is not an isolated case. Over the past 10 years, Karachi has witnessed numerous major fire incidents, particularly in malls, markets and factories, resulting in heavy financial losses and loss of lives.
Official records show that around 2,400 fire incidents were reported in Karachi in 2025 alone, ranging from minor blazes to major infernos, causing loss of life and property.
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