A catastrophic fire tore through Gul Plaza, one of Karachi’s busiest shopping complexes, killing at least 28 people and leaving 81 others still missing, according to local authorities and fire service officials. More than a hundred people were injured in what is being described as one of the deadliest fires in the city’s history.
Built in 1980, the four-storey Gul Plaza is among Karachi’s largest shopping malls. Sprawling over an area larger than a football field, the complex houses more than 1,200 shops, the vast majority of which have been completely destroyed by the blaze.
The fire broke out on Saturday, 17 January, and spread rapidly throughout the market, fueled by dry weather conditions. The intensity of the inferno was such that firefighters battled the flames continuously for nearly 24 hours before bringing the situation under control.
Preliminary investigations suggest that an electrical short circuit may have triggered the fire. However, fire service officials have squarely blamed gross mismanagement at Gul Plaza for the staggering number of casualties and missing persons.
A senior officer of the Karachi Fire Service revealed that although the complex had 26 gates, only two were routinely kept open for entry and exit. At the time of the fire, the remaining gates were locked, trapping hundreds of shoppers and workers inside. Compounding the disaster, the building’s fire extinguishers were found to be non-functional.
Eyewitnesses, police officials, and emergency responders say Karachi has never witnessed a fire of such magnitude. Dr. Sumaiya Saeed, a senior police officer and physician, confirmed that the dead and injured were rushed to the city’s Civil Hospital. Of the 28 fatalities recorded so far, only eight victims have been identified.
She added that families of the deceased and missing have been asked to provide DNA samples to assist in identification. Authorities have confirmed the names of 74 of the 81 missing individuals, and officials fear the death toll may rise further as rescue operations continue.
Search and recovery work on the first floor of Gul Plaza was completed on Wednesday. Officials said rescue teams would begin operations on the second and third floors on Thursday.
Karachi, the capital of Pakistan’s southeastern Sindh province, is the country’s principal port city, handling nearly 80 percent of Pakistan’s foreign trade. The tragedy has sent shockwaves across the nation.
Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori expressed profound grief over the incident and extended his deepest condolences to the families of those killed and injured, calling the disaster “a heartbreaking loss that demands accountability and urgent reforms in public safety.”