The search for dozens of people missing after a devastating fire at a shopping plaza in Karachi entered its fourth day on Tuesday, with officials expressing diminishing hopes of finding survivors. The blaze, which broke out on Saturday at the multi-storey Gul Plaza, has left at least 23 people dead, with many victims burned beyond recognition.
Rescuers have reached the most severely damaged sections of the building, but these areas have either collapsed or been significantly weakened since the fire began. The cause of the blaze remains unclear, according to officials. Police and hospital authorities have recovered remains, including body parts, and DNA testing is underway to identify the victims, said police surgeon Dr. Summaiya Syed.
The shopping plaza housed approximately 1,200 shops, primarily selling imported clothing, cosmetics, and plastic household goods. Dozens of the missing are shop owners and customers. Senior police official Asad Raza reported that over 65 people are missing, and mobile phone data indicates at least 31 were inside the plaza on the night of the fire. Others may not have been carrying phones.
Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab visited the site, meeting with distraught families of the missing and assuring them that authorities are making every effort to locate those still unaccounted for. “We will continue this rescue operation until all missing persons are found,” he told reporters. Heavy machinery is being used to clear rubble from a section that collapsed on Sunday.
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah announced that the government will provide 10 million rupees ($36,000) in compensation to the family of each person killed. Rescuers are working around the clock, and there remains some hope that trapped victims might still be found alive, he added.
Karachi has a history of deadly fires, often attributed to poor safety standards, lax enforcement, and illegal construction. In November 2023, a shopping mall fire killed 10 people, and in 2012, a garment factory fire claimed at least 260 lives, one of Pakistan's worst industrial disasters.
