Rescue teams are still working through the charred ruins of Karachi’s Gul Plaza shopping complex, where at least 26 people have died and around 83 remain missing following a massive fire that tore through the building over the weekend.
Cranes are demolishing what remains of the multi-storey structure after most of it collapsed, amid fears that the weakened building could give way entirely. South District Deputy Commissioner Javed Nabi Khoso confirmed that rescuers have cleared the ground and first floors and are now attempting to reach the second and third levels.
The blaze, which began late Saturday night in Karachi’s historic Saddar area, raged for more than 24 hours before being largely brought under control. Gul Plaza housed around 1,200 shops and covered an area larger than a football field. Videos circulating online showed intense flames engulfing the building as firefighters battled the inferno through the night.
By Monday afternoon, much of the structure had already crumbled. Fire crews have been cooling the site while clearing twisted metal, debris, fallen air-conditioning units, and signboards scattered across nearby streets.
Families desperate for answers
Hundreds of distraught relatives and shop owners have gathered outside the building, waiting for news of their loved ones. Many accuse authorities of responding too slowly.
Qasir Khan, whose wife, daughter-in-law, and mother-in-law are among the missing, said he fears bodies will be recovered in unrecognizable fragments. “They could have saved many lives if the rescue had been faster,” he said.
Shop owner Yasmeen Bano described losing two decades of her livelihood overnight. “We have been left with nothing,” she said.
Rescue teams have begun entering the gutted building more than 50 hours after the fire started, according to a Rescue 1122 spokesperson. Human remains are being placed in bags and sent for DNA testing, with workers frequently pausing due to extreme heat and smoke.
Vehicles retrieved from rooftop
Cranes are also being used to clear vehicles from Gul Plaza’s rooftop parking area. At least seven cars have been recovered so far, and two were found in usable condition and returned to their owners.
Trader Aamir expressed shock that both of his cars were intact. However, he added that two of his employees are still unaccounted for.
Anger against authorities
Public anger has been mounting. When Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab visited the site on Sunday night, he was met with protests and anti-government chants.
Kosar Bano said six members of her family went to the mall for wedding shopping and never returned. “Now all we can hope for is to find pieces of them,” she said tearfully.
DNA identification underway
Police officials confirmed that DNA samples have been collected from 20 recovered bodies, while 48 families have submitted their samples for matching. The Sindh Forensic DNA and Serology Laboratory is conducting cross-matching, a process expected to take several days.
Samples from severely burned bodies have also been sent to the forensic lab at the University of Karachi.
Government inquiry launched
The Sindh government has formed an investigation committee headed by Karachi Commissioner Syed Hassan Naqvi, which is holding its first meeting today. The panel will review all evidence and determine the cause of the fire.
Naqvi said anyone found responsible for negligence or wrongdoing would face legal action. He also noted that large quantities of highly flammable materials inside the plaza likely intensified the blaze.
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah admitted there were failures but said it was too early to assign blame before the inquiry concludes.
Fire services reported receiving the first emergency call at 10:38 pm on Saturday, when flames were already spreading from ground-floor shops to upper levels. Rescuers said the building’s poor ventilation caused thick smoke to trap people inside and hinder rescue efforts.
Earlier, the provincial police chief suggested an electrical fault may have caused the fire, but the chief minister said the exact cause is still under investigation.
The tragedy is being compared to Karachi’s deadly 2012 industrial fire, which killed more than 260 people.
