Karachi Gul Plaza Fire Death Toll Rises to 71 as Rescue Teams Near Completion of Search
KARACHI: The death toll from the devastating fire at Karachi’s Gul Plaza has risen to 71 as rescuers continue to recover remains from the rubble of the destroyed shopping centre.
According to Police Surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed, 71 bodies have now been recorded, with 16 identified so far. Of these, nine were confirmed through DNA testing, which has been carried out on 49 samples.
The blaze broke out on the night of January 17 and took nearly two days to be fully extinguished, leaving the ground-plus-three-storey building in ruins, with some sections collapsing entirely. Officials cautioned that the final casualty count would only be confirmed once all remains are identified.
South Deputy Commissioner Javed Nabi Khoso told reporters that search operations are in their “final stages” and are expected to conclude today. He noted that 77 people were reported missing, and recovery efforts are being conducted under the supervision of the Sindh Building and Control Authority (SBCA).
Brigadier (retd) Wajid Sibghatullah Mahar, director general of Sindh Rescue 1122, said rescue personnel are still working in the remaining 10–15% of the building that had been inaccessible. He highlighted concerns about the ground floor, where the fire initially erupted, and expressed hope that any remaining bodies could be recovered from there.
Defending the rescue efforts, Mahar stated that teams had employed modern equipment and faced a third-degree fire by the time they reached the scene. He added that 15 to 20 people were evacuated during the blaze.
Mahar also noted that the building either lacked a fire safety system or it was not activated at the time of the fire. Advanced technology was used over the past three days to aid in locating potential survivors.
Preliminary investigations indicate that the fire began in a flower shop and spread rapidly through the building’s duct system. The police are continuing their investigation to determine why the blaze escalated so quickly.
