by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent
KARACHI, PAKISTAN (Worthy News) – Rescue workers continued recovery operations Tuesday after a devastating fire tore through a crowded shopping mall over the weekend in Pakistan’s largest city, killing at least 28 people, including a firefighter, according to officials.
The blaze erupted late Saturday at Gul Plaza, a three-storey commercial building in Karachi, housing more than 1,200 shops selling clothing, cosmetics, plastics, and other flammable goods.
Authorities said the inferno burned for more than 24 hours before firefighters brought it under control.
Officials confirmed that dozens of people were initially reported missing. While some have since been located, a number of people remain unaccounted for, and authorities cautioned that the death toll could still rise as debris is cleared.
Relatives gathered near the burned-out structure, awaiting news as rescue teams worked through smouldering debris and partially collapsed sections of the building under hazardous conditions.
SEARCH CONTINUES AS HOPES FADE
“I don’t know what has happened to them or whether they are alive. We are praying that all those missing come out safely,” one relative of the missing told reporters.
Six members of Mehmood Khan’s family are among those still missing. “My two 15-year-old nephews, a cousin, and three other relatives,” he said.
Khan added that they were last heard from about an hour after the fire broke out, when the family received a voice message saying “smoke had filled the building.”
Rescue officials said conditions inside remain extremely dangerous. Nearly one-third of the mall has collapsed, according to Dr. Abid Jalal Sheikh, a senior rescue official.
“We still cannot enter the upper sections because of the weakened structure and dense smoke in narrow alleys and small shops,” he told the Associated Press.
FIREFIGHTER KILLED AS STRUCTURE COLLAPSES
Firefighter Muhammad Aslam, 57, said the main section collapsed while first responders were inside, killing his colleague Furqan Ali and injuring another firefighter.
Authorities said identification has been slow because many of the recovered bodies were burned beyond recognition.
In several cases, only body parts were found, and DNA testing is underway to identify victims, according to police surgeon Dr. Summaiya Syed.
Investigators said the cause of the fire has not yet been conclusively determined, and a forensic investigation is underway. Early assessments cited by officials point to several contributing factors, including a possible electrical fault, though authorities stressed this has not been officially confirmed.
Fire officials and safety experts also pointed to poor fire safety compliance, including limited ventilation, blocked or locked exits, and the presence of large quantities of flammable merchandise, which likely allowed flames and toxic smoke to spread rapidly through the building.
OFFICIAL RESPONSE AND COMPENSATION
Karachi’s Mayor Murtaza Wahab said some sections of the building had already been searched and that heavy machinery was being used to clear rubble from a portion that collapsed on Sunday.
Wahab met with families of the missing, many visibly shaken, and assured them that authorities were making every effort to locate those still unaccounted for. “We will continue this rescue operation until all missing persons are found,” he told reporters.
Sindh provincial authorities announced the formation of a formal inquiry committee to determine responsibility and assess whether safety regulations were violated.
The Sindh government said it will pay compensation of 10 million Pakistani rupees (about $36,000) to the family of each person killed in the blaze, according to provincial officials.
As recovery efforts continue, relatives of victims and affected shopkeepers have called for accountability, saying the tragedy must serve as a turning point for enforcing fire safety standards in Pakistan’s largest city.
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