Karachi Mall Fire Claims 30 Lives, 73 Missing as Rescue Continues
Karachi Mall Fire Claims 30 Lives, 73 Missing as Rescue Continues
A devastating blaze at Gul Shopping Plaza in Saddar left 30 dead and 73 missing as rescue teams press on with rubble clearance and safety investigations.
A massive fire tore through the Gul Shopping Plaza in the Saddar district of Karachi on the night of January 17, trapping shoppers and shop workers in the basement. By January 21, authorities said the death toll had climbed to 30, with 73 people missing, including 16 minors. The blaze spread rapidly to other floors and was only brought under control after nearly 36 hours of relentless firefighting.
Sindh police surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed said 30 bodies had been recovered and taken to Jinnah Hospital, with just 10 identified so far as investigators work through heavily burned remains. Officials said the missing list was drawn from affected families and shop records, tallying 73 people believed to have been inside the plaza when the fire broke out.
Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab noted that many of the missing were women and children and that about 20 of the recovered bodies remained unidentified and could be among those listed as missing. The building, which housed wholesale and retail shops, has also been the subject of at least three pending court cases over safety measures and its structural condition.
Eyewitnesses and survivors described exits that were locked or blocked, and desperate calls for help as smoke and heat engulfed the mall, prompting renewed calls for stricter safety checks at crowded commercial sites.
Authorities continued to search throughout the night, urging calm as families waited for news and as rescue workers comb rubble for possible survivors.
