Pakistan: 30 bodies recovered from one shop after fatal fire at Karachi’s Gul Plaza
ANI | Updated: Jan 22, 2026 04:05 IST
Karachi [Pakistan], January 22 (ANI): At least 30 bodies were recovered from a gutted shop as rescue teams continued to comb through the debris of Karachi’s Gul Plaza on Wednesday, according to Dawn. Karachi South Deputy Inspector General Syed Asad Raza told Dawn that the remains were found at a shop named “Dubai Crockery,” located on the mezzanine floor.
Earlier in the day, rescue workers had recovered three more bodies, taking the toll from 28 to 31. With this discovery, the overall death toll from the blaze is estimated at 61. However, Raza cautioned that the final figure can only be confirmed after DNA reports are received.
Raza said relatives of the missing and shopkeepers had earlier indicated that many people could have been inside the shop at the time of the fire. He added that, according to the victims’ last contact, they believed they would be safe and that the fire would be controlled, but they suffocated to death while waiting.
On the involvement of a bomb disposal squad at the site, the South police chief said that no evidence of mischief had emerged so far during the initial investigation.
A local resident, Rasheed, told Dawn that the shop had announced a sale for the wedding season and remained open until 2 a.m., although it usually closed at 10 p.m.
The fire broke out at Gul Plaza on Saturday night. Although the blaze on MA Jinnah Road was reportedly doused after more than 24 hours on Sunday, firefighting efforts had to resume on Monday after flames reignited from smouldering debris. The partially collapsed plaza is a ground-plus-three-storey building housing about 1,200 shops across 8,000 square yards.
Karachi Commissioner Syed Hassan Naqvi, convener of the inquiry committee formed by the Sindh government, visited the gutted plaza along with Karachi Additional Inspector General Azad Khan, also a committee member.
Speaking to the media, Naqvi said the inquiry had just begun and noted that the condition of Gul Plaza, as well as the adjacent Rimpa Plaza, had been affected. He added that Rimpa Plaza had not yet been declared dangerous and that fire safety measures in the buildings did not meet international standards.
Additional IG Azad Khan said no evidence of sabotage had been found so far and refuted media reports claiming that two dumper trucks carrying debris had disappeared.
KMC’s Zafar Khan said firefighting teams were still working at the plaza despite extreme heat, while cooling operations continued at two locations. He said one portion of the building had been cleared, with work ongoing in two other areas.
Khan added that efforts would continue to retrieve bodies trapped under the debris, with firemen being deployed to structurally stable sections of the building. He dismissed claims of a delayed response, stating that three fire tenders were dispatched immediately on Saturday night.
He also alleged that shopkeepers created chaos by snatching pipes from firefighters to extinguish flames at their own shops. Khan said access to the roof was blocked because the door was locked, and most exits were closed as the market was nearing closing time when the fire erupted.
According to the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA), parts of the adjacent 13-storey Rimpa Plaza were affected due to heat exposure. SBCA Director General Muzammil Halepota told Dawn that three floors were impacted and two pillars weakened, prompting the authority to recommend steel jacketing, which has now begun.
Halepota said a notice had been issued to Rimpa Plaza’s owners for repairs, adding that an SBCA team had already started the process.
Commissioner Naqvi described the inquiry as “complicated,” with multiple angles to be examined, and promised long-term and far-reaching recommendations to the government.
Separately, Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori met a delegation led by Gul Plaza President Tanveer Pasta and Karachi Chamber of Commerce’s Javed Balwani. According to a statement from the governor’s office, Pasta appreciated Tessori’s role in timely rescue operations and for raising his voice for the victims.
The statement said Pasta agreed in principle with the recommendations of the Sindh governor and the Karachi Chamber of Commerce.
The SBCA rejected reports that Gul Plaza’s building records were unavailable, calling such claims baseless. The authority said all approved records, including sanctioned and completion plans, were preserved and available.
Originally constructed in 1979, the building’s revised plan was approved in 1998 and regularised in 2003 under the Regularisation Amendment Ordinance. A revised no-objection certificate for sale and advertisement was issued in 2005.
According to the SBCA, approval was granted for a total of 1,102 shops across multiple floors. The authority also stated that the building was equipped with multiple staircases and 16 emergency exit routes on the ground floor.
However, South DIG Asad Raza told Dawn that 14 of the 16 exits were found to be closed at the time of the fire.
The SBCA reiterated that it completely rejects any notion of concealing facts or disappearance of records and said it would fully cooperate with transparent investigations, adding that a fact-based report would be submitted to fix responsibility.
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