KARACHI: At least five people have been killed and 20 others injured after a massive fire broke out at the Gul Plaza shopping mall on MA Jinnah Road in Karachi late Saturday night, officials confirmed on Sunday. Firefighting and rescue operations remained under way for several hours as authorities struggled to fully contain the blaze.
According to initial reports, three bodies were first shifted to the Civil Hospital Karachi trauma centre and all three victims were brought in dead. The death toll later rose to five, as confirmed by South Deputy Inspector General of Police Syed Asad Raza and Rescue 1122 spokesperson.
Rescue officials said that by early Sunday morning, the fire had been controlled by approximately 30 percent. Gul Plaza houses around 1,200 shops, many of which contain highly flammable goods such as clothing, electrical appliances, cosmetics, perfumes, and crockery. These materials significantly intensified the fire.
More than 20 fire tenders from multiple departments were deployed to the site to extinguish the flames. However, rescue teams were forced to proceed with extreme caution due to the age of the building and the risk of structural collapse caused by prolonged exposure to fire. Edhi Foundation, which is also assisting in rescue efforts, reported that a portion of the building had already collapsed.
Police officials stated that the fire initially erupted in shops located on the ground floor. Investigations suggested that a short circuit in one of the shops may have triggered the incident before it spread rapidly throughout the mall.
Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori expressed serious concern over the tragedy and directed relevant authorities to expedite rescue and relief operations. He also ordered an immediate report on the incident and assured affected traders and citizens of full government cooperation.
Sindh Rangers were also deployed at the scene to assist in rescue operations, evacuate trapped individuals, and secure the area. A Rangers spokesperson stated that personnel would remain on site until the completion of rescue activities, while also helping manage traffic flow and protect civilian lives and property.
The incident comes just one day after a separate fire at the Karachi Port Trust, where at least 20 containers, mostly carrying electrical batteries, were destroyed, raising renewed concerns over fire safety and emergency preparedness in the city.