More than 65 missing, six dead in Pakistan mall blaze
Firefighters in Karachi are searching for over 65 missing individuals after a devastating fire tore through a shopping mall in the historic downtown area, resulting in six fatalities and leaving parts of the structure in ruins.
Videos captured the sparks and flames as they erupted from the building, with firefighters tirelessly aiming to contain the blaze amid the dense business district over the weekend. The fire broke out late Saturday evening and saw firefighters battling the flames for more than 24 hours.
As rescue operations continued, firefighters began to cool the steaming rubble of the nearly collapsed building. Reports from the local television station, Geo News, indicated that limited ventilation within the mall, which houses approximately 1,200 shops, caused smoke to fill the premises, complicating rescue efforts considerably.
Sindh police chief Javed Alam Odho stated that preliminary investigations suggested that the fire was likely caused by a malfunctioning circuit breaker. “The layout and construction of this market was such, and the nature of the items in it – such as carpets, blankets and other objects made from resins – contributed to the rapid spread of the fire,” he said.
Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab confirmed that at least 65 individuals remain unaccounted for, with six confirmed dead and 20 others injured. As rescue operations unfolded, crowds gathered around the building, expressing anger and frustration at the delayed response, reportedly chanting slogans directed at the mayor during his visit after 23 hours of firefighting.
Among those devastated by the incident was shop owner Yasmeen Bano, who lamented, “We’ve been left high and dry, reduced to zero; 20 years of hard work, all gone.”
The fire began engulfing the Gul Plaza shopping centre on Saturday night, with rescue services first alerted to flames emerging from the ground-floor shops. “When we arrived, the fire from the ground floor had spread to the upper floors, and almost the entire building was already engulfed in flames,” reported Rescue 1122 spokesperson Hassanul Haseeb Khan to Reuters.
The charred remains of stores and images showcasing a raging inferno within the mall encapsulate the havoc wreaked by this tragic incident.
