A devastating fire that erupted late Saturday at Gul Plaza, a multi-storey shopping centre on MA Jinnah Road in Karachi’s bustling business district, has claimed numerous lives, with rescue operations revealing grim discoveries.
The blaze raged for over 24 hours before being brought under control, causing partial collapses in the building that housed around 1,200 shops across a large area.
Tragic Discovery in Crockery Shop
On Wednesday, rescue teams recovered multiple bodies—estimates ranging from 20 to 30—from a single crockery shop (reported as shop number 144) on the mezzanine floor. DIG South Asad Raza confirmed the find, noting human remains were pulled from the debris.
Officials warned the overall death toll, previously reported around 28–30 by sources like Edhi and police, is likely to climb further as searches continue.
Ongoing Rescue Challenges
Firefighting shifted to cooling operations and debris removal by Sunday, but unstable upper floors, lingering smoke, heat, and structural risks have severely hampered access. Rescue 1122 and other teams persist despite dangers, with concerns that more victims remain trapped. Over 70–80 people were still listed as missing earlier in the week, though some have been traced or accounted for.
Impact and Official Response
The incident, one of Karachi’s worst fires in over a decade, has highlighted safety lapses in densely packed commercial buildings, including inadequate fire exits and overcrowding. Authorities are conducting DNA identification for many unrecognizable remains, with some bodies identified including minors. No official cause has been confirmed yet, but the rapid spread intensified the tragedy.
The search enters its fifth day with no immediate plans to demolish the structure until all missing are accounted for.