The death toll from the devastating fire at Karachi’s Gul Plaza shopping centre has risen to 71 after rescuers recovered additional human remains from the rubble, officials said on Friday.
Police Surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed issued an updated list confirming 71 fatalities. Of the victims identified so far, 16 have been formally confirmed, including nine through DNA testing. Authorities said DNA analysis has been conducted on 49 samples, with more identifications expected in the coming days.
The blaze broke out late on the night of January 17 and took nearly two days to fully extinguish. The ground-plus-three-storey shopping centre was left severely damaged, with multiple sections collapsing as a result of the intense fire.
Officials cautioned that the final death toll will only be confirmed once all recovered remains have been identified. A total of 77 people were reported missing in the aftermath of the incident.
South Deputy Commissioner Javed Nabi Khoso told reporters that the search operation had entered its “final stages” and was expected to be completed on Friday. He said recovery efforts were being carried out under the supervision of the Sindh Building and Control Authority.
Sindh Rescue 1122 Director General Brigadier (retd) Wajid Sibghatullah Mahar said rescue teams were still working in around 10 to 15 per cent of the building that had previously been inaccessible.
“There are serious concerns about the ground floor, where the fire is believed to have started, and which we have not yet been able to fully access,” Mahar said, adding that more bodies could still be found in that area.
He stated that 15 to 20 people were rescued and evacuated during the early stages of the blaze but acknowledged that the fire had already escalated to a third-degree inferno by the time rescue teams arrived.
Mahar also raised concerns over the building’s fire safety measures, saying either no fire safety system was installed or it had not been activated. According to preliminary information, the fire is believed to have originated in a flower shop before spreading rapidly through the building’s ducting system. Police are continuing investigations into how the fire spread so quickly.