On Monday (19th), Pakistani firefighters began searching for victims at the scene of a fire in a shopping mall in the capital of Sindh province, Karachi. The fire that broke out on Saturday has already claimed the lives of at least 14 people, with over 60 individuals still missing.
According to Reuters, late on Saturday night (17th), a major fire erupted at Gul Plaza, a shopping center in Karachi. This large shopping mall is located in the historic downtown area of Karachi, consisting of multiple-story buildings and housing 1,200 shops.
Videos from the scene show the building engulfed in raging flames, with firefighters battling throughout the night to extinguish the fire. On Monday, they began the process of cooling down the building structure and clearing twisted metal debris, scattered pieces on the streets, fallen air conditioning units, and store signs.
Rescue personnel have warned that the remaining building structure is extremely unstable and could collapse at any moment.
Hundreds of onlookers gathered to witness the rescue operation, including shop owners who watched helplessly as their life’s work turned to ashes.
Police Chief Javed Alam Odho stated that the fire has resulted in 14 deaths, with approximately 60 people still missing.
“We hope the rescue operation will be completed as soon as possible, but we cannot provide a specific timetable,” he added, mentioning that around 18 injured individuals have already been discharged, and “the number of casualties may increase.”
Local media reported that when Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab arrived at the scene late on Sunday night (23 hours after the incident), the public’s anger was running high, with chants against the government and protests against the delayed response of the fire department.
Rescue units mentioned that authorities received the emergency report of the mall catching fire for the first time at 10:38 p.m. on Saturday, and by the time firefighters arrived, the fire had spread to upper floors, engulfing the entire building.
Interior footage from the mall showed charred remains of shops, with the entire building still engulfed in bright orange flames.
Firefighters pointed out that Gul Plaza had inadequate ventilation, causing thick smoke to fill the mall and slowing down the progress of rescuing those trapped.
Chief Odho told reporters on Sunday, “The fire appears to have been caused by a circuit breaker malfunction.”
This is one of the deadliest fires to occur in Karachi in over a decade. In 2012, a massive fire broke out in the Karachi industrial area, resulting in over 260 fatalities.