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 30 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 missing individuals have been collected so far in connection with the incident.Six dead
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 primarily caused by suffocation due to heavy smoke inside the building. More than 30 people were injured, mostly in a stampede that followed the outbreak of the fire. Of the six fatalities, three died of asphyxiation, two were burned to death, while a firefighter lost his life after being trapped under debris.
The deceased were identified as Shahroz, Asif, Faraz and Aamir, while the identities of two others were not yet confirmed.
Inspector General of Police Sindh, Javed Alam Odho, visited the site of the massive fire at Gul Plaza and received a detailed briefing from police, rescue and fire brigade officials. The SSP City briefed the IGP on joint measures taken to extinguish the fire and carry out rescue operations.
Reviewing the coordinated response by police and rescue agencies, the IGP directed that rescue efforts be made more effective and accelerated to prevent further losses.
He said police and rescue teams were jointly engaged in relief activities and that operations would continue until the area was declared completely safe.
The IGP said the preliminary cause of the fire appeared to be a faulty circuit breaker, though the final cause would be determined after completion of cooling operations and a technical assessment.
He said that upon receiving information about the incident, the concerned deputy commissioner and SSP City immediately reached the site and have been supervising rescue and firefighting operations since the night.
The IGP said security in the area had been further tightened and precautionary measures adopted to ensure rescue operations were not hindered.
Five civilians lost their lives in the incident, while one firefighter was martyred during rescue efforts. Paying tribute to the fallen firefighter, the IGP said the officer sacrificed his life to save others, calling it a great act of bravery. He saluted all firefighters for their courage and dedication.
The IGP added that a formal inquiry would be launched after the fire was fully extinguished and cooling was completed, to help prevent similar incidents in the future.
Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar directed authorities to take immediate rescue measures and create alternative traffic routes to ensure safe access. He ordered an investigation to determine the cause of the fire and instructed officials to secure the building, prevent the fire from spreading further and clear access routes for fire brigade vehicles.
Sindh Rangers also joined the rescue operation on the special instructions of the director general of Rangers Sindh, deploying teams to assist in relief efforts, a spokesperson said.