In a heartbreaking escalation, the death count from a ferocious fire at Karachi’s Gul Plaza has reached 14, with over 70 individuals still missing following a 13-hour battle against the flames. The Saturday evening outbreak at the popular shopping destination exposed critical lapses in emergency response.
Rescue personnel discovered eight additional corpses amid ongoing searches, as operations persist for the dozens unaccounted for. The inferno’s persistence stemmed from administrative delays, resource shortages, and the mall’s flawed architecture.
Angry locals and merchants blasted Sindh officials for tardiness, insisting proximate fire services could have mitigated the damage. Water supply issues repeatedly stalled efforts, a claim echoed by on-site witnesses.
Governor Kamran Tessori, inspecting the wreckage Monday, voiced alarm at the missing tally, including a trapped pregnant woman. ‘This has evolved into a national tragedy,’ he remarked, emphasizing the human cost.
With fire suppression complete, focus has turned to rubble clearance and site cooling by coordinated civic and naval units. South region’s DIG confirmed the building’s condemnation as unsafe.
Injuries numbered 15, handled efficiently at key hospitals—14 discharged from Civil Trauma Center, others from Jinnah. Sunday’s extreme heat led to structural failures, heightening dangers for trapped souls.
Fire chief Humayun Khan outlined the mall’s vulnerabilities: expansive yet suffocatingly dense, with lingering peripheral fires. Twenty fire engines and snorkels engaged from three flanks, per Rescue 1122 officials.
Sindh Building Control Authority’s evaluation looms, likely mandating demolition. This calamity serves as a stark warning, compelling Pakistan to bolster fire safety standards and rapid-response capabilities in its megacities.