Gul Plaza Fire Kills 60, Exposes Deadly Safety Failures

News Desk 

Karachi: The devastating fire at Karachi’s Gul Plaza has claimed at least 60 lives, officials confirmed on Wednesday, as rescue teams uncovered dozens of bodies trapped inside locked shops and investigators pointed to severe safety lapses in one of the city’s busiest commercial centres.

The death toll surged after 30 bodies were recovered from a single crockery shop on the mezzanine floor, where victims had reportedly locked themselves inside in a desperate attempt to escape the inferno. 

South DIG Syed Asad Raza said the victims appeared to have sought refuge as flames spread rapidly through the multi-storey complex.

Suleman, the shop’s owner, said 14 bodies were found in his shop alone, including his cousins, employees and customers who were present when the fire broke out. 

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However, Police Surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed said the situation remains unclear, as only charred remains — not intact bodies — are now being brought to Civil Hospital.

“Twenty-one sets of remains from two shops have been received so far, but it is too early to determine whether they belong to 21 individuals or more,” she said, adding that identification is proving difficult due to the condition of the remains.

Authorities said the tragedy is still unfolding. 

Karachi Commissioner Syed Hassan Naqvi revealed that 86 people are officially listed as missing, while some bodies have been recovered from rubble during ongoing search operations. Additional IG Azad Khan confirmed that no evidence of terrorism has been found, and that the cause of the blaze is under thorough investigation.

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District South Deputy Commissioner Javed Nabi Khoso said the building would not be demolished until every missing person is accounted for. Of the recovered victims, 17 bodies remain unidentified, while only 11 have been positively identified so far. Officials also acknowledged that some names on the missing persons list may be duplicated.

The fire — the largest in Karachi in more than a decade — erupted late Saturday at Gul Plaza, a massive commercial complex housing around 1,200 shops and spread over an area larger than a football field. Flames raged for more than 24 hours before being brought under control.

Rescue efforts continue to face major challenges. DC Khoso said several sections of the building remain inaccessible due to intense heat, smoke and structural damage. Debris removal is ongoing using both heavy machinery and manual labour, while cooling operations continue inside the building.

“There is no haste in the operation because human lives are involved,” he said, adding that searches are only being conducted where it is technically safe to do so.

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Fire safety failures have emerged as a central concern. KMC Fire Officer Zafar Khan said Gul Plaza had no emergency exits or fire extinguishers, a revelation that has intensified public outrage.

He added that narrow access roads delayed the response, while chaos among shopkeepers — each demanding priority to save their own premises — hampered firefighting efforts.

The disaster has also raised alarms about neighbouring structures. Authorities have temporarily sealed the adjacent Rimpa Plaza after the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) declared parts of it unsafe due to damage from the collapse at Gul Plaza.

The SBCA has ordered immediate cessation of use, removal of dangerous structural elements and repairs under the supervision of qualified engineers, warning of legal action for non-compliance.

The tragedy has renewed scrutiny of fire safety enforcement across Karachi. Sindh Local Government Minister Nasir Hussain Shah disclosed that a long-delayed fire safety audit identified 266 buildings as non-compliant with regulations.

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The report, conducted by the Fire Department and KMC, was submitted to Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah earlier this month, who reportedly expressed strong displeasure over the delay.

The chief minister has now directed the installation of fire alarms in all buildings, while provincial authorities say they are coordinating with builders’ associations to address systemic failures.

As rescue teams continue to search through smoke-filled corridors and collapsed rubble, the Gul Plaza fire is increasingly being seen not just as a tragic accident, but as a stark indictment of years of neglect in urban safety enforcement. Input from Geo News.