KARACHI – The fire that broke out late Saturday night at the Gul Plaza shopping mall located on MA Jinnah Road has finally been brought under control.
As a result of the blaze, around 40 percent of the building has collapsed. The death toll from suffocation and burn injuries has risen to 26, while debris removal and the recovery of bodies are still underway.
According to reports, rescue teams managed to enter the Gul Plaza building after 40 hours and began a search operation for those trapped inside. The search for bodies on the first floor has been completed, and efforts are now focused on locating people—alive or dead—on the second floor.
While the search was ongoing on the second floor, the fire flared up again, prompting fire brigade vehicles to resume dousing the area with water.
Rescue personnel have inspected all accessible areas, removed the ladder, and withdrawn from the building. Due to darkness inside Gul Plaza, rescue workers are using torches to search for victims.
Rescue teams are finding human body parts inside the building, and the process of recovering bodies continues.
Operations underway at three locations simultaneously; final death toll cannot be confirmed yet: Rescue 1122
Rescue 1122 Chief Operating Officer Dr Abid Jalaluddin Sheikh said that three search operations are being carried out simultaneously at five identified locations at the site. A special team remains engaged in continuous firefighting and cooling efforts to ensure a safe environment during operations, while heavy machinery is being used to clear debris.
He said the building’s structure has been severely damaged and there is a constant risk of collapse. Therefore, the operation is being conducted in phases, with extreme caution and technical expertise. Several bodies have been recovered so far, but the final number of fatalities cannot yet be confirmed. In some cases, bodies have been found in parts at different locations, and until technical and forensic verification determines whether the remains belong to the same individual or different people, it is difficult to confirm an accurate count.
Similarly, the Chief Fire Officer stated that clearing the debris could take 15 to 17 days, as the remaining structure of the building is extremely dangerous.
DIG South Asad Raza said that among those who have died so far, one is a woman while the rest are men. Bodies are still being recovered during the operation, and unidentified bodies have been temporarily placed in the Edhi morgue.
Chief Fire Officer Humayun Ahmed, speaking to the media by phone, said that the main fire at Gul Plaza has been completely extinguished and that cooling operations are currently underway.
Earlier on Monday morning, despite the passage of 36 hours, the fire had not been fully controlled. Fire was still burning on the second and ground floors at the rear of the building.
All fire brigade vehicles on the rear side of Gul Plaza had stopped operations after cracking noises were heard coming from the building during firefighting efforts.
According to the fire brigade, the building has become extremely dilapidated and is at risk of collapse; therefore, firefighting was halted and only debris removal is being carried out.
The fire erupted at around 10:15 pm on Saturday at the well-known Gul Plaza shopping centre on MA Jinnah Road in Karachi and continued to intensify despite the arrival of numerous fire brigade vehicles. Two sections of the building collapsed due to the blaze.
Earlier, Chief Fire Officer Humayun said that 80 percent of the fire had been brought under control and flames at several locations had subsided, allowing fire and rescue volunteers to be sent inside.
DIG South Asad Raza said police contacted various people regarding 59 missing individuals and obtained their mobile numbers from family members. He said that so far, the locations of 26 individuals have been traced near Gul Plaza, while scrutiny of the locations of others is ongoing and police continue to work on mobile data.
According to hospital sources, individuals affected by smoke inhalation were discharged after receiving first aid. Two firefighters, Irshad and Bilal, were injured and are being treated at PNS Shifa Hospital. A total of 30 people were injured, of whom 13 were taken to the Burns Centre, 15 to the Trauma Centre, and two to Jinnah Hospital.
Rescue authorities release lists of deceased and injured
According to Rescue officials, those killed include Kashif son of Younis (40), Faraz son of Abrar (55), Muhammad Aamir son of unknown (30), Furqan son of Shaukat Ali (25), along with five others whose identities have not yet been confirmed.
The injured and affected include Haseeb son of Waseem (25), Waseem son of Saleem (20), Daniyal son of Siraj (20), Sadiq son of unknown (35), Hamza son of Muhammad Ali (22), Raheem son of Gul Muhammad (25), Fahad son of Muhammad Ayub (20), Jawad son of Javed (18
