Search and rescue operations continue at Karachi’s Gul Plaza after major blaze

Search and recovery operations resumed on Tuesday at Gul Plaza, a bustling shopping complex in Pakistan’s largest city, as crews worked to clear debris and access the building’s basement, officials said.

The effort follows a fire that swept through the multi-story mall over the weekend, leaving many people unaccounted for.

Karachi’s mayor, Murtaza Wahab, said teams were using heavy machinery to remove rubble and had entered the basement to continue the search. Authorities have warned that operations could take days as parts of the structure remain unstable and fires re-ignited in smouldering sections.

Gul Plaza was a ground-plus-three-story structure with about 1,200 shops spread over roughly 8,000 square yards, according to officials.

Wahab said the blaze had been brought under control through joint efforts by the district administration, rescue agencies and the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation.

He said rescue teams were now clearing debris and had entered the basement of the mall. Wahab added that all possible assistance would be provided to affected families.

He said all departments of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation would remain on high alert until all missing persons were found and the rescue operation was completed.

Heavy machinery has been deployed to clear the mall’s roof, the mayor said. Rescue teams have begun removing vehicles parked on the roof using cranes.

Wahab said the heavy machinery would remain at the site until the operation concludes.

Late Monday night, Karachi South Deputy Inspector General Syed Asad Raza told Dawn newspaper that 23 bodies had been recovered from the debris. He said body parts of some victims were also found.

65 people remain missing

Speaking Monday on Geo News program “Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada ke Saath,” Wahab said 65 people were still missing.

“Others are saying there are 77 missing, but I can confirm that it is 65,” he said. Of those, 18 bodies had been retrieved and identified, while others remained unidentified pending DNA results.

Wahab said firefighting operations had ended and cooling work was underway.

He said three areas of the building were accessible: two portions where the structure was still standing and a rear section that had collapsed.

The mayor said reports of movement were received late into the night, but rescuers found no signs of life when those areas were accessed.

Rescue workers were instructed to drill cautiously, he said.

Asked about responsibility for the incident, Wahab said assigning blame was not the immediate priority. He said an inquiry committee had been formed to establish the facts.

He said all 1,200 shops in the plaza were active and that problems had naturally emerged over the years that would need to be investigated for negligence.

Anger over the fire

Rescue workers were seen carrying human remains in sacks for DNA testing, stopping frequently to drink water after enduring intense heat from the debris.

Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah told reporters that 65 people were still missing, while 22 injured victims had been discharged from hospital.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said in a statement that the federal government stood with the affected families and the Sindh government during the crisis.

Workers remove debris following a massive fire that broke out in the Gul Plaza Shopping Mall in Karachi, Pakistan, January 19, 2026. Reuters

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

Kosar Bano said six members of her family had gone to the mall to shop for a wedding. The last message she received said they would return home 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.

Thick smoke filled the building

Rescue services said authorities received the first emergency call at 10:38 p.m. Saturday, reporting a fire in ground-floor shops.

By the time firefighters arrived, the flames had spread to the upper floors and engulfed much of the building.

Images from inside the mall showed charred shops and an orange glow as flames continued to rise.

Firefighters said the lack of ventilation caused thick smoke to fill the building and slowed efforts to reach those trapped inside.

Sindh Chief Minister Shah said an inquiry would be conducted to determine responsibility.

“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.”

Provincial police chief Javed Alam Odho earlier said the fire was caused by an electrical fault, but Shah said the cause remained unknown.

The blaze is Karachi’s deadliest since a 2012 industrial fire that killed more than 260 people. A court ruled in 2020 that the earlier disaster involved arson.