By Blessing Nweke
The death toll from a massive fire that swept through a busy shopping plaza in Pakistan’s largest city rose to at least 10 on Monday, after rescuers recovered four more bodies during an overnight search of the badly damaged building, officials said.
Firefighters extinguished the blaze at the multistory Gul Plaza late Sunday, nearly 24 hours after it erupted, allowing rescue teams to finally enter the structure and look for people feared trapped inside. Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab said the latest recovery raised the confirmed death toll to at least 10, though local media reports placed the number of fatalities as high as 14.
The fire broke out late Saturday and spread rapidly through shops that stored cosmetics, garments and plastic goods, according to Dr. Abid Jalal Sheikh, the city’s chief rescue officer. Thick smoke and intense heat hampered firefighting efforts for hours, forcing authorities to delay search-and-rescue operations until the flames were fully brought under control.
On Sunday night, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah said families had reported about 60 people missing, prompting authorities to launch an extensive search. On Monday, anxious relatives gathered outside the charred remains of the plaza, many visibly distressed as they awaited news of loved ones, witnesses said.
The cause of the fire was not immediately known. Police said an investigation was underway to determine how the blaze started and whether safety violations contributed to its rapid spread.
Karachi, the capital of Sindh province, has a long history of deadly fires, often blamed on poor enforcement of safety regulations and illegal construction. In November 2023, a fire at a shopping mall in the city killed 10 people and injured 22 others. A far deadlier blaze at a garments factory in 2012 claimed 260 lives, one of Pakistan’s worst industrial disasters.
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