Pakistani firefighters continued recovering bodies from the smouldering remains of a sprawling shopping mall in Karachi on Monday, as more than 60 people remained unaccounted for following one of the city’s deadliest fires in over a decade. At least 21 people have been confirmed dead, including a child.
The blaze erupted late on Saturday at Gul Plaza, a multi-storey complex in Karachi’s historic centre housing around 1,200 shops and covering an area larger than a football field. Firefighters battled the inferno for more than 24 hours before bringing it mostly under control.
Videos posted on social media captured flames engulfing the building while emergency teams worked through the night to contain the fire.
On Monday, authorities focused on cooling the structure and clearing debris, including twisted metal, fallen air-conditioning units, and shattered shop signboards.
Most of the building had collapsed by the afternoon, and cranes were brought in to demolish the remaining structure amid fears it might give way.
Among the missing are Qasir Khan’s wife, daughter-in-law, and her mother, who had gone to the mall on Saturday evening. “The bodies will come out in pieces from here. No one will be able to recognise them,” Khan said, blaming delays in the rescue operation. “They could have saved a lot of people.”
Hundreds of anxious relatives and residents gathered around the site as rescue teams searched for survivors. Many shopowners lamented the loss of their businesses. “We’ve been left high and dry, reduced to zero; 20 years of hard work, all gone,” said Yasmeen Bano, whose shop was destroyed in the blaze.
Rescuers retrieved human remains in sacks to be sent for DNA testing, pausing regularly to hydrate amid the intense heat from the debris. Mohammed Ameen, overseeing operations for the Edhi emergency services, confirmed that 21 people had died in the fire.
Murad Ali Shah, Chief Minister of Sindh province, which includes Karachi, had earlier reported 15 deaths, including a firefighter, and said that 65 people were missing. He added that 80 people were injured, with 22 already discharged from hospital.
The fire has sparked outrage over safety standards and emergency response, with locals criticizing what they see as delays in the rescue effort that may have cost lives.
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