Suffocation identified as main cause of death in Gul Plaza fire: police surgeon

KARACHI: The primary cause of death in the devastating Gul Plaza fire has been identified as inhalational asphyxia or suffocation, according to Police Surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed. The tragic incident, which occurred on the night of January 17, resulted in the loss of at least 73 lives and left over 1,100 shops destroyed.

Dr Syed provided these findings in a written response to a questionnaire from the judicial commission investigating the fire, it was revealed on Tuesday. When asked about the predominant cause of fatalities, Dr Syed stated, "The predominant cause of loss of life was inhalational asphyxia/suffocation."

She further explained that while suffocation was the main cause, polytrauma could not be excluded in 66 other victims due to the presence of fragmented remains. Polytrauma refers to a medical condition involving multiple severe injuries. Dr Syed noted, "Inhalational asphyxia was established as the primary cause."

The fire, which broke out at the Gul Plaza shopping mall, took nearly two days to be fully extinguished. Despite ten days of intensive search operations among the ruins, at least eight individuals remained unaccounted for.

The incident has prompted a judicial inquiry to determine the circumstances and causes behind the high number of casualties. The findings from Dr Syed are expected to play a significant role in the commission's ongoing investigation.