Karachi — The devastating fire at Gul Plaza, a multi-storey commercial complex on M.A. Jinnah Road, has claimed at least 14 lives, as flames continue to intermittently emerge from the smouldering debris and rescue teams persist with search and recovery operations amid hazardous conditions.
The blaze, which erupted late Saturday night, engulfed the heavily congested shopping centre housing more than 1,200 shops, many stocked with highly flammable materials including carpets, garments and plastic goods. Firefighters battled the inferno for over 33 hours before managing to bring the main blaze under control, though residual fires continue to hamper rescue efforts.
– Authorities confirmed that eight additional bodies were recovered during extended search operations, raising fears that the death toll could climb further as debris is cleared from collapsed and charred sections of the structure. Several bodies recovered so far were reportedly burnt beyond recognition, complicating identification efforts.
Emergency response teams comprising the fire brigade, Karachi Metropolitan Corporation workers, disaster response units and Pakistan Navy personnel are now focusing on cooling operations and debris removal. Heavy machinery is being used to break walls and cut through reinforced sections of the building to access areas still unreachable due to extreme heat and structural instability.
Officials also disclosed that dozens of people are still missing, with families anxiously awaiting news of their loved ones. In response, the Sindh government has established helplines to assist relatives in reporting missing persons and obtaining updates on rescue operations.
The tragedy has reignited concerns over fire safety standards in commercial buildings, particularly in Karachi’s densely packed business districts. Traders and eyewitnesses have voiced anger over what they describe as delayed emergency response, inadequate firefighting resources, and poor enforcement of safety regulations, claiming these factors contributed to the scale of the disaster.
Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori, who visited the site, termed the incident a national tragedy and assured affected families that rescue operations would continue until every missing person is accounted for. He stressed that determining the cause of the fire and fixing responsibility would follow once emergency efforts conclude.
As grief grips the city, shopkeepers count massive losses while authorities face mounting pressure to review building safety codes and emergency preparedness, to prevent similar disasters in the future.
This story has been reported by PakTribune. All rights reserved.