Gul Plaza disaster deepens after 30 bodies pulled from one Gul Plaza shop

KARACHI: At least 30 bodies were recovered from a single shop as rescue teams continued clearing debris at Karachi’s Gul Plaza on Wednesday, sharply raising the estimated death toll from the deadly fire.

Karachi South Deputy Inspector General Syed Asad Raza told Dawn that the remains were found inside a shop named Dubai Crockery, located on the mezzanine floor of the plaza. He said rescue workers had earlier recovered three bodies, taking the toll from 28 to 31, and that the discovery from the gutted shop had pushed the estimated number of fatalities to 61.

However, the police officer cautioned that the final death toll would only be confirmed after DNA analysis of the recovered remains.

Raza said relatives of missing persons and shopkeepers had earlier indicated that a large number of people were likely present inside the shop at the time of the fire. He said information suggested the victims had believed the situation would be brought under control and that they would remain safe, but they eventually died due to suffocation while waiting.

Commenting on the visit of a bomb disposal squad to the site, the South DIG said no evidence of sabotage or foul play had emerged so far during the initial investigation.

A local resident, Rasheed, told Dawn that the shop had announced a wedding season sale and had decided to remain open until 2am, despite its usual closing time of 10pm.

The fire broke out at Gul Plaza on Saturday night. While officials said the blaze at the shopping centre on MA Jinnah Road was brought under control after more than 24 hours on Sunday, firefighting operations had to resume on Monday after flames reignited from smouldering debris.

The plaza, portions of which collapsed during the fire, was a ground-plus-three-storey structure spread over approximately 8,000 square yards and housing around 1,200 shops.

Inquiry committee visits site

Karachi Commissioner Syed Hassan Naqvi, who is convener of an inquiry committee formed by the Sindh government to probe the incident, visited the gutted plaza along with Karachi Additional Inspector General Azad Khan, a member of the committee.

Speaking to reporters, the commissioner said the inquiry was at an initial stage. He pointed to the condition of nearby structures, saying that Rimpa Plaza, located adjacent to Gul Plaza, had also been affected, though it had not yet been declared unsafe.

Naqvi said fire safety arrangements inside the buildings did not meet international standards.

The additional IG said that no indication of sabotage had been found so far. “We are investigating the incident thoroughly,” he said, rejecting reports that two dumper trucks carrying debris from the site to KMC ground had gone missing.

Karachi Metropolitan Corporation official Zafar Khan told the media that firefighters were still working at the plaza despite extreme heat, while cooling operations continued at two locations. He said one section of the building had been cleared, while two others were still being cleared.

“We will try to retrieve bodies trapped under the debris,” he said, adding that firefighters were being deployed to areas where the structure remained stable.

Khan also dismissed allegations of a delayed response by the fire brigade, saying three fire tenders were dispatched immediately after information about the fire was received on Saturday night.

He said shopkeepers had created chaotic conditions during the operation and were allegedly snatching hoses from firefighters in an attempt to douse flames at their own shops. He added that the door leading to the roof of the building was locked, preventing access, and that exits had been closed as the market was nearing closing time when the fire erupted.

Rimpa Plaza structure affected

The Sindh Building Control Authority said parts of the structure of Rimpa Plaza had been affected due to prolonged exposure to heat and fire from the adjacent blaze.

SBCA Director General Muzammil Halepota told Dawn that three floors of the 13-storey building had been damaged and that a technical committee visited the site on Tuesday. The committee found that two pillars had weakened and recommended jacketing to reinforce them with steel supports.

An SBCA team has begun the strengthening work, Halepota said, adding that a notice had also been issued to the owners of Rimpa Plaza regarding repairs.

Karachi Commissioner Naqvi, speaking separately at the site, said the inquiry was complex and involved multiple dimensions. He said all aspects of the incident would be examined and that the committee aimed to submit long-term and far-reaching recommendations to the government.

Governor meets traders

Separately, Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori met a delegation led by Gul Plaza President Tanveer Pasta and Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry leader Javed Balwani.

According to a statement from the governor’s office, Pasta thanked Tessori for what he described as timely rescue efforts and effective measures after the fire, and for raising the issue of the victims at various forums.

The statement said Pasta agreed in principle with recommendations put forward by the governor and the Karachi chamber, without providing further details.

SBCA rejects claims of missing records

A day earlier, the SBCA rejected reports suggesting that official records of Gul Plaza were unavailable, calling the claims baseless.

In a statement, the authority said all approved documents related to Gul Plaza, including sanctioned and completion plans and construction details, were preserved and available.

According to the SBCA, the building was originally constructed in 1979, with a revised plan approved in 1998. It said the project was regularised in 2003 under the Regularisation Amendment Ordinance 2001, and a revised no objection certificate for sale and advertisement was issued in 2005.

The authority said approval had been granted for a total of 1,102 shops, including 175 in the basement, 355 on the ground floor, 188 on the first floor, 193 on the second floor and 191 on the third floor.

The SBCA added that the building had two staircases from the basement to the ground floor, six from the ground to the first floor, five from the second to the third floor, and 16 emergency exit routes on the ground floor.

South DIG Asad Raza, however, told Dawn that 14 of the 16 exits were closed at the time of the fire.

The SBCA said it rejected any suggestion of concealing facts or disappearance of records and reiterated its commitment to full cooperation with transparent investigations, adding that a fact-based report would be prepared to determine responsibility.