Death toll rises to 28 in Karachi’s Gul Plaza fire, over 80 missing

News Desk 

Karachi: The death toll from Karachi’s devastating Gul Plaza fire has climbed to 28 as rescue operations continue, with at least 81 people reported missing, officials said on Tuesday. 

The blaze, one of the city’s deadliest in over a decade, destroyed a multi-storey commercial complex housing more than 1,200 shops in the historic centre.

Speaking to Geo News, police surgeon Dr. Summaiya Syed confirmed that 28 bodies have been recovered and brought to Civil Hospital, while DNA samples from 50 families have been collected for cross-matching. 

So far, 74 of the missing individuals have been confirmed, though some names on the list were repeated. Identification of eight bodies has already been completed, with samples obtained from 14 victims. 

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DNA testing will be conducted at the International Centre for Chemical and Biological Sciences, University of Karachi.

The fire, which began late Saturday, raged for over 24 hours before being brought under control. Rescue teams have cleared the ground and first floors of the plaza, while operations continue on the upper levels. 

Officials said access to the second and third floors is being made possible by cutting through grills to reach trapped individuals.

Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori proposed relocating affected traders to the nearby vacant parking plaza. “We must learn from this tragedy,” he said, urging authorities to halt construction of unsafe commercial complexes in the city.

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Meanwhile, PPP lawmaker Shehla Raza raised concerns in the National Assembly over building safety and rescue delays, revealing that 24 of the 26 entrances to Gul Plaza were closed during the fire. She highlighted the building’s long history, noting that it was constructed in 1980 and had expanded over decades with shops in the basement, ground floor, and parking corridors.

MQM-P MNA Farooq Sattar called for the incident to be declared a national tragedy, criticizing authorities for neglecting Karachi despite its contribution of 65% of the country’s revenue. He demanded the formation of an investigation committee and the operationalisation of the Department of Civil Defence to prevent future disasters.

As Karachi mourns its dead and searches for the missing, the tragedy has reignited concerns about urban safety, building regulation enforcement, and emergency preparedness in the port city.