Karachi Gul Plaza fire
Help desk established at DC South Office to compile data of missing persons
KARACHI
As many as 56 people remain missing after a massive fire broke out late Saturday night at the Gul Plaza shopping mall on MA Jinnah Road in Karachi. The blaze has so far claimed six lives, including that of a firefighter, and left at least 20 others injured, said officials.
Firefighters are continuing efforts to fully extinguish the fire, while authorities are compiling data on those who remain untraced. Officials said details of 56 individuals have been collected so far in connection with the incident.
The information is being gathered at a help desk set up at the DC South Office, where relatives are reporting missing persons and providing relevant details.
Rescue and investigation operations are ongoing as authorities work to assess the full scale of the tragedy.
The Sindh government has set up a helpline for public assistance. Any information related to the fire or reports of missing persons can be shared with the Deputy Commissioner South at 0313-5048048, 021-99206372 and 021-99205625.
The public has also been advised to provide details of any missing persons related to the incident on the same numbers.
Rescue officials said the deaths were caused by suffocation due to heavy smoke inside the building. Twenty people were injured, several of them in critical condition, and were shifted to Civil Hospital Karachi. The deceased were identified as Asif, Faraz and Aamir, while the identities of two others were being confirmed.
The chief fire officer said all shops and warehouses on the ground floor were engulfed in flames. The fire was declared a third-degree blaze, prompting authorities to call fire tenders from across the city. Trapped people were being rescued using snorkels, he said.
Officials said the fire had spread up to the third floor of the shopping plaza, which also has a basement market.
The president of the Gul Plaza Traders Association said between 80 and 100 people were still believed to be inside the building.
