Pakistan reels from the Gul Plaza fire in Karachi, where a relentless 13-hour blaze has killed 14 people and left more than 70 missing, as confirmed Monday with fresh body recoveries. The Saturday night disaster at the two-acre commercial hub has ignited fury over official incompetence.
Search and rescue teams push forward despite obstacles like intense residual heat and collapsed sections. Critics, including affected traders, decry the Sindh government’s slow mobilization and Karachi mayor’s oversight, pointing to nearby untapped resources.
The mall’s poor ventilation and overcrowded layout intensified the fire, making penetration hazardous. Reports of chronic water shortages further hampered firefighting, prolonging the agony into Sunday.
On Monday, Governor Kamran Tessori assessed the devastation firsthand, deeming the missing persons crisis ‘profoundly disturbing’—notably a pregnant woman yet to be found. He framed it as a catastrophe of national proportions.
Firefighting has ceased, yielding to debris sifting and cooling by KMC, TMC, and naval personnel. DIG Syed Asad Raza announced these phases, with the site officially ruined pending expert verdict.
Healthcare responders managed 15 casualties swiftly: bulk at Civil Hospital Trauma, nearly all released, plus cases at Jinnah. Building portions crumbled under Sunday’s blaze-fueled inferno.
Leading firefighter Humayun Khan mobilized 20 tenders and four snorkels across three approaches, battling edge flames amid ventilation deficits. Rescue 1122’s head detailed the resource strain.
As probes unfold, this tragedy underscores urgent needs for enhanced fire protocols, infrastructure audits, and training in Pakistan’s dense urban landscapes to avert repeats of such profound loss.