KARACHI: The search and rescue operation at Karachi’s devastated Gul Plaza continued on Thursday as the death toll from the catastrophic fire climbed to over 60, with dozens of families still waiting for news of missing loved ones amid mounting anger over delays and glaring safety failures.
The fire broke out late Saturday night at the commercial plaza on MA Jinnah Road and raged for more than 24 hours before it was declared extinguished on Sunday. However, firefighters were forced to resume operations on Monday after flames reignited from smouldering debris. Parts of the building later collapsed due to the intensity of the blaze.
Gul Plaza, a ground-plus-three-storey structure spread over 8,000 square yards, housed around 1,200 shops. Rescue 1122’s urban search and rescue teams have been working round-the-clock, combing through the wreckage using specialised tools, cutters and thermal imaging cameras in an effort to locate trapped victims and recover remains.
Relatives of missing persons have criticised the pace of the operation, expressing frustration and grief as days pass without closure. Some families staged a protest outside the gutted plaza on Thursday, demanding faster recovery efforts and accountability.
The Edhi Foundation said three more bodies recovered from the rubble had been identified through DNA testing and handed over to their families. According to the foundation, one of the deceased ran a gift shop in Gul Plaza, while the other two were employed at different shops in the mall.
On Wednesday, police surgeon Dr Sumaiya Syed said more than 50 families had submitted DNA samples at the Civil Hospital Karachi mortuary for identification purposes. “We will hand over the remains to families once DNA samples are matched,” she said.
The scale of the tragedy became clearer earlier this week when at least 30 bodies were recovered from a single gutted shop, “Dubai Crockery,” located on the mezzanine floor. Karachi South Deputy Inspector General Syed Asad Raza told Dawn that with these recoveries, the death toll was estimated to have risen to 61. Earlier in the day, three additional bodies had also been retrieved, taking the count from 28 to 31 before the grim discovery inside the shop.
For families, the wait has been unbearable. Faraz Ali, whose father and 26-year-old brother were inside the plaza at the time of the fire, told AFP that families simply wanted closure. “We want the bodies to be recovered and handed over to their rightful families,” he said. “At least let us see them one last time, in whatever condition they are, so that we may say our final goodbye.”
Fire safety scrutiny intensifies
In the wake of the tragedy, the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) said it had begun fire safety assessments across Karachi on the directives of Sindh Local Government Minister Nasir Hussain Shah.
According to a statement from SBCA Director General Muzammil Halepoto’s office, fire safety arrangements in 35 residential and commercial buildings have already been inspected. The assessments focus on the functionality of firefighting and emergency systems, with notices to be issued to owners of buildings found lacking.
Halepoto said fire safety notices had been served on 266 buildings across the city, including those previously identified in a Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) survey. He recalled that KMC had also issued directives to builders, owners and trade unions in January 2024 to ensure compliance with fire safety standards.
Warning of strict action, the SBCA chief said buildings that fail to install proper firefighting equipment and safety measures within the given timeframe would be sealed. He added that inspections would continue to improve emergency preparedness citywide.
Inquiry committee begins probe
An inquiry committee constituted by the Sindh government to investigate the causes and circumstances of the fire also began its work. Karachi Commissioner Syed Hassan Naqvi, who heads the committee, visited the gutted plaza on Wednesday along with Additional Inspector General Karachi Azad Khan.
Speaking to the media, the commissioner said the inquiry was at an early stage and noted that the adjacent Rimpa Plaza had also been affected by the fire, though it had not yet been declared dangerous. He lamented that fire safety measures in the affected buildings did not meet international standards.
Additional IG Azad Khan said no evidence of sabotage had surfaced so far, stressing that investigations were ongoing. He also dismissed reports claiming that two dumper trucks carrying debris from the site to the KMC ground had gone missing.
Meanwhile, KMC official Zafar Khan said firefighting and cooling operations were still underway despite extreme heat at the site. One portion of the building had been cleared, while two other sections were still being excavated.
“We will try to retrieve the bodies buried under the debris,” he said, adding that firefighters were being deployed to areas where the structure remained stable. He rejected claims of a delayed response, saying three fire tenders were dispatched as soon as information about the blaze was received on Saturday night.
Khan also said chaos erupted during the operation as some shopkeepers allegedly snatched hoses from firefighters to douse flames at their own shops. He added that the door leading to the roof was locked and exits were closed because the market was about to shut when the fire broke out — factors that may have worsened the disaster.
As rescue efforts continue, the Gul Plaza fire has once again laid bare Karachi’s chronic fire safety failures, with grieving families demanding not just the recovery of their loved ones, but accountability to prevent yet another tragedy from being added to the city’s long list of avoidable disasters.
