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Pakistan's Shopping Mall Fire Death Toll Climbs to 60, Rescue Efforts Continue

By The South Asia Times

KARACHI - The death toll from the devastating fire at a shopping mall in Karachi, Pakistan southern port city, rose to 60 after 30 more dead bodies recovered from a shop, authorities said on Thursday.

Deputy Commissioner South, Javed Nabi Khoso, confirmed that post-mortem examinations of 48 victims have been completed, while 86 people remain missing, according to Geo News.

“Rescue teams are continuing operations to retrieve bodies trapped under the debris,” he said.

The fire broke out late Saturday at the multi-storey Gul Plaza shopping center in Karachi’s busy business district and burned for more than 24 hours, hampering rescue efforts in the densely populated area.

So far, authorities have identified 15 of the victims, including Mohammad Shehroz, Misbah, Maryam, Kashif, Aamir, Faraz, Farooq, Farqan, Mohammad Ali, Tanveer, Mohammad Rizwan, Churchill Masih, Sarfraz Noor, Mohammad Saad, and Mohammad Usman.

South DIG Syed Asad Raza said many of the victims had locked themselves in the crockery shop to escape the flames. The bomb disposal squad is collecting samples from the building floors and bodies to test for explosives or hazardous substances, though no evidence of terrorism has been found.

Karachi Commissioner Syed Hassan Naqvi described the investigation as complex, with multiple angles under review. “No single entity can be held responsible for the tragedy,” he added.

Authorities have started issuing notices to buildings lacking fire safety measures. Khoso revealed that work on 48 under-construction buildings has been halted due to missing emergency exits, while six others were sealed for lacking firefighting equipment. He emphasized that Gul Plaza will not be demolished until all missing persons are accounted for.