Rescue teams in Karachi continued combing through the blackened ruins of Gul Plaza on Tuesday, desperately searching for 63 people still missing after a devastating fire that raged for nearly two days and claimed at least 21 lives.
The blaze, the city’s worst in more than a decade, erupted late Saturday evening and rapidly engulfed the vast shopping complex in Saddar. Gul Plaza, home to around 1,200 family-run shops selling bridal wear, toys, household goods, and daily essentials, turned into a deadly inferno within hours.
Firefighters battled the flames through the night and much of Sunday before finally bringing the main fire under control. However, pockets of flames continued to flare up among the smoldering debris, complicating rescue efforts.
For many families, the wait has been unbearable. Standing near the ruined building, tearful and exhausted, Kosar Bano described how six of her relatives had gone to the mall to shop for an upcoming wedding. Their last message to her was that they would return home in 15 minutes. They never did.
Her voice shaking with grief, she said: “At this point, our only hope is that we may find something of them — even just hands, fingers, or legs. That is all we are praying for.”
Once a bustling commercial hub larger than a football field, Gul Plaza now lies reduced to ash, twisted metal, and rubble scattered across the street. Rescue workers have been carefully sifting through the wreckage, retrieving human remains and sending them for DNA identification.
According to Rizwan Ahmed from Rescue 1122, 21 deaths have been confirmed so far, while 63 people remain unaccounted for nearly three days after the fire began.
Senior police officer Syed Asad Raza confirmed that 15 DNA samples had been collected by Monday night to help identify victims.
Tension has been high at the scene, with angry crowds accusing authorities of slow response and poor emergency management. Frustration peaked when Karachi’s mayor arrived almost 24 hours after the blaze started and was met with boos and chants from grieving families.
The government has pledged a full investigation into both the cause of the fire and the emergency response. Police revealed that 13 of the mall’s 16 exits were locked when the fire broke out — a factor that may have trapped many inside.
Gul Plaza’s management has yet to issue a formal statement.
This tragedy echoes Karachi’s deadliest industrial fire in 2012, which killed over 260 people and was later ruled an act of arson by the courts.
