Massive fire in Pakistan's Gul Plaza kills six, sparks safety concerns across Karachi

Police Surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed confirmed that six bodies and 11 injured individuals had been brought to the Civil Hospital Karachi (CHK), according to Dawn News.

Karachi Deputy Mayor Salman Abdullah Murad said firefighting operations were still underway.

“The operation to extinguish the fire is ongoing, after which the cooling process will begin,” he told Dawn News, adding that a search for missing persons would be launched once the area is declared safe.

Gul Plaza is a densely packed commercial complex that attracts a large number of shoppers each week.

Residents of Delhi Colony, identified as Mansoor and Jameel, told DawnNewsTV that they had been unable to contact six family members who had visited the mall for shopping on Friday night.

According to the residents, the last contact with their relatives was around 10:10 pm, after which their mobile phones became unreachable.

Rescue teams have expressed concern that the ageing structure of the building poses a risk of collapse.

Sindh Inspector General of Police Javed Alam Odho said preliminary assessments suggest the fire was caused by a short circuit.
“It appears to have been triggered by a circuit breaker,” he said, noting that Gul Plaza houses around 1,200 shops and includes a basement level.

Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has ordered the Karachi commissioner to conduct an immediate inquiry and submit a report to determine the cause of the fire.

“The fire safety arrangements in the building should be thoroughly inspected,” the chief minister said in a statement quoted by Dawn News, adding that a comprehensive fire safety audit of Karachi’s commercial buildings should be carried out without delay.