Karachi’s Gul Plaza fire toll climbs to 50 as search continues

Pakistani firefighters recovered up to 25 bodies from the rubble of the Gul Plaza shopping mall on Thursday, raising the confirmed death toll from the weekend blaze to around 50, officials said.

The fire, which broke out late on Saturday, spread rapidly through the sprawling complex in Karachi, the country’s largest port city. The mall, home to roughly 1,200 family-owned shops selling wedding clothing, toys and household goods, was largely destroyed by the inferno.

Deputy Commissioner Javed Nabi Khoso told reporters the remains were being transferred to hospitals for DNA testing, making it difficult to provide an exact count.

“We have found 20 to 25 bodies or remains,” he said, adding that identification would take time.

A small group of mourners gathered near the charred site on Thursday, lighting candles and holding photographs of those believed to have perished.

Eyewitness questions speed of spread

Speaking to Nukta, a woman who said she owned a shop in the mall said that the fire spread so fast that it seemed as if a chemical had been used to accelerate it.

She said the flames erupted from a central location and quickly reached the mall’s exits, leaving little time for people to escape.

She also claimed that the mall gates had been closed at 9:45 p.m. on Saturday, earlier than the usual closing time of 10:45 p.m. on weekends, when foot traffic is higher.

Firefighters continued battling the blaze until Tuesday, when the fire was finally brought under control. By then, the mall had been reduced to ash and collapsed debris.

Authorities have registered 84 people as missing, with police fearing most of them may have died, suggesting the death toll could still rise.

“It is a doomsday scenario,” said shopkeeper Rehmat Khan, who said 18 to 20 people were inside his store, including six staff members, when the fire erupted. “All of them are missing,” he added.

The search operation resumed Sunday night after more than 24 hours of firefighting. The three-storey building, spread across about 8,000 square yards, suffered partial collapses as the fire raged.

Families demand faster recovery

Relatives of the missing have criticized the pace of the rescue effort, saying it is too slow. Faraz Ali, whose father and 26-year-old brother were inside the mall, told AFP he wanted the bodies recovered and returned to their families.

“That is all so that the families may receive some comfort, some peace,” he said. “At least let us see them one last time so we may say our final goodbye.”

Several families staged a protest outside the mall on Thursday, demanding a faster recovery process.

The Edhi Foundation, a leading humanitarian organization, said three more bodies stored in its morgue were identified through DNA testing. One was a shop owner and two were employees at the mall, the foundation said, adding that the remains had been handed over to their heirs.

Fire safety assessments underway

The Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) said it had begun citywide fire safety assessments following directives from Sindh’s local government minister. The SBCA said it had inspected 35 residential and commercial buildings, assessing the functionality of firefighting systems and issuing notices for corrective action.

SBCA Director General Muzammil Halepoto said fire safety notices had been issued to 266 buildings across Karachi, including those listed in a Karachi Metropolitan Corporation survey. He warned that buildings failing to meet safety standards could be sealed.

The blaze was the deadliest in Karachi since a factory fire in 2012 that killed more than 260 people.

With additional input from AFP and Reuters