Karachi [Pakistan], January 18 (ANI): At least six people were killed and 38 others are missing after a massive fire broke out at Gul Plaza Shopping Mall in Karachi, causing the rear section of the complex to collapse, ARY News reported on Sunday.
Authorities said 60 to 70 percent of the blaze has been controlled, but search and rescue operations continue amid fears that people may still be trapped inside the building. The fire began at shops within Gul Plaza on MA Jinnah Road on Saturday night around 10 p.m.
ARY News reported that a firefighter lost his life during the rescue efforts. According to South DIG Police, 38 people remain missing as authorities work to collect detailed information to trace them. Six bodies have been recovered and handed over to families, while 22 injured individuals are receiving treatment.
Tanveer Qasim, president of the Gul Plaza Traders Association, estimated that 80 to 100 people could still be inside the building. He criticized authorities for the lack of preparedness, noting that one of Karachi’s major tax-paying markets was reduced to ruins. Qasim added that traders themselves rescued between 200 and 250 people.
He further stated that fire brigade teams repeatedly ran out of water and diesel, while desperate calls for help came from people trapped inside. Rescue authorities reported that some individuals suffered from smoke inhalation, while others were injured amid panic and stampede-like conditions. Fire officials warned that, due to the blaze’s intensity, it could not be brought under control immediately.
Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed deep grief over the incident, offering condolences to victims’ families and directing authorities to provide immediate assistance and ensure the best medical care for the injured.
Meanwhile, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also expressed sorrow over the loss of lives and financial damage, instructing the Sindh Chief Minister and Karachi Mayor to use all available resources for rescue and firefighting operations and to conduct a transparent investigation, The Express Tribune reported. (ANI)
About The Author
