Rescuers recover more bodies from Karachi shopping plaza fire as death toll rises to 15
KARACHI, Pakistan (AP) — Rescuers recovered more bodies from a massive fire at a shopping plaza in Pakistan’s largest city, Karachi, pushing the death toll to at least 15 with about 65 reported missing,
Firefighters extinguished the blaze at the multistory Gul Plaza late Sunday nearly 24 hours after it erupted, allowing rescue teams to enter the building. Authorities feared that the death toll could further rise.
Sindh provincial Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah told a news conference in Karachi that rescue teams were searching for survivors and the dead. He said those killed in the fire included a firefighter. He said the government would provide 10 million rupees ($36,000) in compensation to the family of each person killed.
The fire broke spread quickly through shops storing cosmetics, garments and plastic goods, said Dr. Abid Jalal Sheikh, the city’s chief rescue officer.
Some of the relatives of the missing waited outside the burned-out plaza Monday, hoping for news.
Qaiser Ali said his daughter, daughter-in-law and sister went shopping Saturday and were inside the building when the fire broke out. He said he had spoken to all three by mobile phone until Sunday, when they went silent.
“I don’t know what has happened to them or whether they are alive,” Ali told The Associated Press. “We are praying that all those missing come out safely.”
Mohammad Abrar said he managed to escape the fire but his brother, Saifur Rehman, who owns a shop in the plaza, was left behind. He said he feared for his safety.
The cause of the fire was not immediately known. Police said an investigation was underway.
Karachi, the capital of Sindh province, has a history of deadly fires, often blamed on poor safety standards and illegal construction. In November 2023, a fire at a shopping mall in the city killed 10 people and injured 22 others.
A massive fire at a garments factory in Karachi in 2012 killed 260 people.