FIREFIGHTERS in Pakistan on Monday searched the remains of a large shopping mall in Karachi for more than 60 people still missing after a fire that killed at least 15 people, officials said.
The fire broke out late on Saturday at Gul Plaza, a multi-storey shopping complex with about 1,200 shops in Karachi’s historic centre.
The blaze burned for more than 24 hours before being mostly brought under control, though officials said small fires were still flaring up inside the structure.
By Monday, most of the building had collapsed. Fire crews worked to cool the site and clear debris, including twisted metal, fallen air-conditioning units and shop signboards scattered across nearby streets. Cranes were positioned around the remaining structure amid concerns it could collapse further.
Videos from the scene showed flames tearing through the building as firefighters worked through the night. Thick smoke continued to rise as teams tried to reach areas where people may have been trapped.
Qasir Khan said his wife, daughter-in-law and her mother went to the mall on Saturday evening and were among those still missing.
"The bodies will come out in pieces from here. No one will be able to recognise them," Khan said, accusing authorities of acting too slowly. "They could have saved a lot of people."
Hundreds of people gathered around the site as rescue teams searched for survivors. Many shopowners were also present, saying their businesses had been destroyed.
"We've been left high and dry, reduced to zero; 20 years of hard work, all gone," said shopowner Yasmeen Bano.
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah said 15 people had died, including a firefighter, and that 65 people were still missing. He said 80 people were injured, with 22 already discharged from hospital.
"We are trying our best that we make the missing persons accounted for. That's our priority right now," Shah told a press conference.
Local media reported anger at the site when Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab visited on Sunday night, around 23 hours after the fire began. People chanted anti-government slogans and protested over the response time of the fire department.
Kosar Bano said six members of her family had gone to the mall to shop for a wedding. She said the last message she received from them was that they would be home in 15 minutes.
"The only hope we have is how many hands we will find, how many fingers we will find, and how many legs we will find. That's it," she said.
"Do you see any hope here!"
‘HEADS WILL ROLL’
Rescue services said the first emergency call was received at 10:38 p.m. on Saturday, reporting a fire in ground-floor shops. By the time firefighters arrived, the flames had spread to upper floors and engulfed much of the building.
Images from inside Gul Plaza showed burned-out shops and an orange glow as flames continued to burn inside.
Firefighters said a lack of ventilation caused heavy smoke to fill the building, making rescue efforts more difficult.
Shah said an inquiry would be launched into the cause of the fire and the rescue operation.
"I'm admitting that there are faults. I can't say whose fault this is. An inquiry will be conducted and heads will roll," he said.
Police chief Javed Alam Odho said on Sunday that the fire appeared to have started due to a circuit breaker.
"The layout and construction of this market was such, and secondly, the nature of the items in it — such as carpets, blankets and other objects made of resins — so the fire is still simmering because of these," he said.
Shah later said the cause of the fire was still not known.
The fire at Gul Plaza could be the deadliest in Karachi since a 2012 industrial blaze that killed more than 260 people. A court ruled in 2020 that the incident involved arson.
(With inputs from agencies)
