Recovery operations at the Gul Plaza tragedy site in Karachi continued into their ninth day on Sunday, as rescue teams found additional human remains overnight, bringing authorities closer to winding up the search mission.
The devastating fire, one of the deadliest in the port city in recent years, erupted on January 17 and rapidly engulfed the sprawling Gul Plaza shopping centre, known for its about 1,200 family‑run stores selling wedding attire, toys, crockery and other items.
Officials from Urban Search and Rescue said more human remains were recovered from the third floor of the collapsed structure and taken to Civil Hospital for DNA testing and identification.
According to Rescue 1122, the death toll has now reached 71, while 82 people were reported missing at the District South deputy commissioner’s office, of whom around 10‑11 are still unaccounted for.
Authorities added that 22 victims have been identified so far, including 15 through DNA analysis, and the difficult process of confirming identities is ongoing.
District South Deputy Commissioner Javed Nabi Khoso told the media that search and recovery efforts were expected to be completed on Sunday, but debris removal and cleanup work would continue beyond that.
The DC confirmed that the remains recovered late at night had been sent for DNA profiling, and said a formal case regarding the incident has been registered and investigations are underway.
However, Khoso urged against premature conclusions, stressing that further comments should await the completion of investigations.