Karachi’s Gul Plaza fire death toll rises to 67 as more remains recovered

The death toll from a massive fire at a shopping mall in Karachi has risen to 67 after authorities recovered the remains of five more people from the rubble, officials said.

South District Deputy Commissioner Javed Nabi said the additional remains were found during ongoing search operations at the site.

Nabi said the building has become completely structurally unstable and that about 80% of the search operation has now been completed.

He added that debris removal work is around 50% complete and that investigations into the incident are ongoing.

The fire broke out late on Saturday and spread rapidly through the sprawling complex in Karachi, Pakistan’s largest port city.

The mall, which housed about 1,200 family-owned shops selling wedding clothing, toys and household goods, was largely destroyed by the blaze.

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

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 questioned how quickly the fire spread, saying it appeared as though 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 the mall’s gates were closed at 9:45 p.m. on Saturday, earlier than the usual weekend closing time of 10:45 p.m., when foot traffic is typically higher.

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, including six staff members, were inside his store when the fire erupted.

“All of them are missing,” he said.

Search operations resumed Sunday night after more than 24 hours of firefighting.

The three-story 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 has been 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 said three more bodies stored at its morgue were identified through DNA testing.

The foundation said one of the deceased was a shop owner and two were employees at the mall, adding that the remains were handed over to their heirs.

Fire safety assessments underway

The Sindh Building Control Authority said it has begun citywide fire safety assessments following directives from Sindh’s local government minister.

The authority said it has inspected 35 residential and commercial buildings, checking the functionality of firefighting systems and issuing notices for corrective action.

SBCA Director General Muzammil Halepoto said fire safety notices have 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