/images/ppid_59c68470-image-176880005804260466.webp)
/images/ppid_59c68470-image-176879756078895173.webp)
/images/ppid_59c68470-image-176879762278822529.webp)
What is the story about?
The death toll from the devastating fire at Karachi’s Gul Plaza has climbed to 14, as search and rescue teams continue combing through the gutted shopping complex amid fears that more than 70 people may still be trapped inside.
Eight additional bodies were recovered by rescue services overnight, pushing the confirmed death toll to 14 by the morning of Monday, January 19, reported Pakistani daily Dawn.
The blaze broke out late Saturday, January 17, at the multi-storey mall on MA Jinnah Road and was finally brought under control after more than 24 hours on Sunday, January 18.
South Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Syed Asad Raza said that the bodies were recovered from the burnt structure during an ongoing search operation.
“Fire safety operation has been completed. Cooling process has now started with the removal of debris from the site by KMC, TMC and Pakistan Navy personnel,” DIG Raza said, as per Dawn.
Read more: Noida techie drowns after car falls into flooded pit; FIR filed over safety lapses
Police surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed said five bodies had so far been shifted to the Civil Hospital Karachi for medico-legal procedures.
Over 70 people remain missing
Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori, who visited the site on Monday, January 19, told the media that “around 70 people remained missing”, describing the situation as deeply alarming.
"The reports of more than 70 missing persons are extremely alarming and constitute a major tragedy," he said, adding that the incident had now "turned into a national tragedy".
“Information about a pregnant woman being trapped inside is extremely concerning,” Tessori said. While stressing the need to determine the cause of the fire, he noted that saving lives remained the immediate priority. He also said he was in touch with builders regarding the market’s restoration and vowed to “stand with the affected people” until losses were compensated, Dawn reported.
The Sindh government has set up helplines — 0313-5048048, 021-99206372 and 021-99205625 — for information on missing persons.
Rescue operation faces challenges
Rescue teams have so far accessed only 5 to 10% of the building, using cutters, hammers and thermal cameras to reach deeper sections, new agency ANI reported citing Geo News. “We have managed to access 5% to 10% of the building,” rescue worker Hassan Ahmed said.
A large-scale operation is underway, involving 22 fire brigade vehicles, 10 water bowsers, four snorkels and 33 ambulances, as per Geo News.
Read more: European Union gears up for a $108 billion retaliation against US as tensions over Greenland burgeon
The Pakistan Army and Frontier Works Organisation have also been deployed to assist with debris removal and structural assessments.
Questions over delayed response
Traders and residents told Dawn that a delayed firefighting response and water shortages allowed the blaze to spread unchecked for hours.
Some shopkeepers pointed out that the Saddar Fire Station was located only minutes away, while some criticised the narrow and congested condition of MA Jinnah Road, which hindered emergency access.
Authorities have said the fire may have been caused by an electrical short circuit, though investigations into the exact cause are still ongoing.
Eight additional bodies were recovered by rescue services overnight, pushing the confirmed death toll to 14 by the morning of Monday, January 19, reported Pakistani daily Dawn.
The blaze broke out late Saturday, January 17, at the multi-storey mall on MA Jinnah Road and was finally brought under control after more than 24 hours on Sunday, January 18.
South Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Syed Asad Raza said that the bodies were recovered from the burnt structure during an ongoing search operation.
“Fire safety operation has been completed. Cooling process has now started with the removal of debris from the site by KMC, TMC and Pakistan Navy personnel,” DIG Raza said, as per Dawn.
Read more: Noida techie drowns after car falls into flooded pit; FIR filed over safety lapses
Police surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed said five bodies had so far been shifted to the Civil Hospital Karachi for medico-legal procedures.
Over 70 people remain missing
Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori, who visited the site on Monday, January 19, told the media that “around 70 people remained missing”, describing the situation as deeply alarming.
"The reports of more than 70 missing persons are extremely alarming and constitute a major tragedy," he said, adding that the incident had now "turned into a national tragedy".
“Information about a pregnant woman being trapped inside is extremely concerning,” Tessori said. While stressing the need to determine the cause of the fire, he noted that saving lives remained the immediate priority. He also said he was in touch with builders regarding the market’s restoration and vowed to “stand with the affected people” until losses were compensated, Dawn reported.
The Sindh government has set up helplines — 0313-5048048, 021-99206372 and 021-99205625 — for information on missing persons.
Rescue operation faces challenges
Rescue teams have so far accessed only 5 to 10% of the building, using cutters, hammers and thermal cameras to reach deeper sections, new agency ANI reported citing Geo News. “We have managed to access 5% to 10% of the building,” rescue worker Hassan Ahmed said.
A large-scale operation is underway, involving 22 fire brigade vehicles, 10 water bowsers, four snorkels and 33 ambulances, as per Geo News.
Read more: European Union gears up for a $108 billion retaliation against US as tensions over Greenland burgeon
The Pakistan Army and Frontier Works Organisation have also been deployed to assist with debris removal and structural assessments.
Questions over delayed response
Traders and residents told Dawn that a delayed firefighting response and water shortages allowed the blaze to spread unchecked for hours.
Some shopkeepers pointed out that the Saddar Fire Station was located only minutes away, while some criticised the narrow and congested condition of MA Jinnah Road, which hindered emergency access.
Authorities have said the fire may have been caused by an electrical short circuit, though investigations into the exact cause are still ongoing.
/images/ppid_a911dc6a-image-176879922377194072.webp)
/images/ppid_a911dc6a-image-176879852693039939.webp)
/images/ppid_a911dc6a-image-176879855970412877.webp)