Karachi Mall Fire Kills 14, Leaves 60 Missing as Rescue Continues Amid Collapse Risk
A devastating fire ripped through a massive shopping mall in Karachi, claiming at least fourteen lives. More than sixty people remain missing as Pakistani firefighters search the smoldering ruins. The blaze erupted late Saturday at Gul Plaza, a sprawling multi-story complex housing around twelve hundred shops.
Rescue Efforts Underway Amid Grave Danger
Rescue workers issued a stark warning on Monday. They stated the remaining structure has become highly unstable and weak. It could collapse at any moment, complicating the ongoing search for survivors. Firefighters worked through the night battling fierce flames visible in video footage. On Monday, their focus shifted to cooling the structure and clearing dangerous debris.
Twisted metal, fallen air-conditioning units, and shattered shop signboards littered the street. The shopping area, larger than a football field, is located in Karachi's historic center. Hundreds of onlookers, including devastated shop owners, gathered around the building.
Shop Owners Express Heartbreak and Anger
Shopowner Yasmeen Bano expressed profound grief. "We've been left high and dry, reduced to zero," she told reporters. "Twenty years of hard work, all gone." Her sentiment echoed the loss felt by many whose livelihoods were destroyed overnight.
Police Chief Javed Alam Odho confirmed the tragic toll. He stated fourteen people have been confirmed dead, with approximately sixty others still unaccounted for. Around eighteen injured individuals have been released from hospital care.
"The rescue efforts are underway, and we hope it can be completed as soon as possible, but I can't provide a timeframe," Odho said. He cautioned that the number of casualties may rise as operations continue.
Public Outcry Over Response Time
Anger simmered at the site when Karachi's Mayor Murtaza Wahab visited nearly twenty-three hours after the fire began. Local media reported people chanting anti-government slogans. Protesters criticized the fire department's response time, highlighting public frustration.
Investigating the Cause of the Blaze
Authorities received the first emergency call at 10:38 PM on Saturday. The report indicated flames in ground-floor shops. However, by the time firefighters arrived, the fire had already spread to upper floors, engulfing much of the building.
Police Chief Odho pointed to a circuit breaker as the likely cause. "It appears to have been caused by a circuit breaker," he told reporters on Sunday. He also noted the mall's layout and the nature of goods sold accelerated the fire's spread.
"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," Odho explained.
Firefighters highlighted another critical issue. Gul Plaza's lack of ventilation caused thick smoke to fill the mall. This severely hampered efforts to reach people trapped inside. Images from the interior showed charred store remains and a persistent orange glow from lingering flames.
A Historic Tragedy for Karachi
This catastrophic fire at Gul Plaza could be Karachi's most significant blaze since 2012. That year, an industrial site fire killed over two hundred and sixty people. A court later ruled that 2012 case involved arson. The current disaster has reignited concerns about fire safety and emergency preparedness in Pakistan's largest city.
