Death toll climbs to 28 in Karachi’s Gul Plaza blaze as rescuers dig through rubble

Rescue teams continued searching the rubble of Gul Plaza shopping mall on Tuesday, two days after a devastating blaze killed at least 28 people, officials said, as efforts shifted to clearing the building’s basement and stabilizing the damaged structure.

Deputy Commissioner South Javed Nabi Khoso earlier told Nukta that 27 bodies had been recovered and that 85 people remained missing. Rescue 1122 officials later confirmed the death toll had risen to 28.

Mayor Murtaza Wahab said heavy machinery had been deployed to remove debris and that rescuers had entered the basement, where parts of the building collapsed during the fire. He warned that operations could take days, as sections of the structure remained unstable and flames periodically re-ignited in smoldering areas.

Structure partially collapsed, complicating search

The fire erupted late Saturday night at the multi-story mall on M.A. Jinnah Road, Karachi’s busy commercial artery. Officials said the ground-plus-three-story building housed around 1,200 shops across roughly 8,000 square yards.

Wahab said the blaze had been brought under control through joint efforts by the district administration, rescue agencies and the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation. He added that all available support would be provided to affected families.

Missing list grows amid heat and debris

Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah said on Monday that 65 people remained missing, while 22 injured victims had been discharged from hospital.

Rescue workers, wearing masks and protective gear, were seen carrying remains in sacks for DNA testing, pausing frequently to drink water after working in intense heat and thick smoke.

Wahab said the building had three accessible sections: two parts that were still standing and a rear portion that had collapsed. He said reports of movement were received late into the night, but rescuers found no signs of life when those areas were accessed.

Authorities urge caution as investigation begins

Wahab said rescuers were instructed to drill cautiously to avoid triggering further collapse. When asked about responsibility, he said establishing facts was the priority and that an inquiry committee had been formed.

“All 1,200 shops in the plaza were active,” he said, adding that “problems had naturally emerged over the years” and would need to be investigated for negligence.

Public anger grows over response time

Anger erupted on Sunday night when Wahab visited the site, with crowds chanting anti-government slogans and criticizing the fire department’s response time, according to local media reports.

One relative of missing victims, Kosar Bano, said six family members had visited the mall to shop for a wedding. The last message she received said they would return in 15 minutes. “The only hope we have is how many hands we will find, how many fingers we will find, and how many legs we will find,” she said.

Fire’s rapid spread highlights safety concerns

Authorities said the first emergency call was received at 10:38 p.m. Saturday, reporting a fire in ground-floor shops. By the time firefighters arrived, flames had spread to upper floors and engulfed much of the building.

Firefighters said poor ventilation caused thick smoke to fill the building, slowing efforts to reach trapped people.

Sindh Chief Minister Shah said an inquiry would determine responsibility and pledged accountability. “I’m admitting that there are faults,” he said. “I can’t say whose fault this is. An inquiry will be conducted and heads will roll.”

Police earlier suggested the fire was caused by an electrical fault, but Shah said the cause remained unconfirmed.

The Gul Plaza blaze is the deadliest in Karachi since a 2012 industrial fire that killed more than 260 people. A court later ruled that earlier disaster involved arson.