Mall fire in Pakistan kills at least 23; dozens of missing

The death toll from a massive fire at a shopping plaza in Karachi, Pakistan, rose to 23 on Monday as rescuers recovered more bodies from the badly damaged building, police said. Dozens remain missing.

Firefighters extinguished the fire at the multi-story plaza on Sunday night, nearly 24 hours after it broke out, allowing rescue teams to enter the building. Authorities fear the death toll will rise as they search for 46 more people, according to the city’s police chief, Asad Raza.

Raza told The News on Monday that only six bodies have been identified so far. The rest will need DNA testing as “the bodies were unrecognizable,” said police surgeon Dr Summaiya Sye.

Earlier, Sindh province Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah said at a news conference in Karachi that rescue teams were searching for survivors and the dead. He said those killed in the fire included a firefighter and that the government would provide 10 million rupees ($36,000) in compensation to the family of each person killed.

The fire started on Saturday at Gul Plaza, which houses 1,200 shops in a complex that is larger than a football field, Reuters reported. The fire spread quickly through shops storing cosmetics, clothing and plastic items, said Dr. Abid Jalal Sheikh, Karachi’s rescue chief.

As rescuers searched for survivors, hundreds of people were outside the building. Among them was shop owner Yasmeen Bano, who said: “We have been left in the lurch, reduced to zero; 20 years of hard work, all gone,” according to Reuters.

Some of the relatives of the missing were also outside the burned square on Monday, waiting for news.

Qaiser Ali said his daughter, daughter-in-law and sister went shopping on Saturday and were inside the building when the fire broke out. He said he had spoken to the three by mobile phone on Sunday, when they fell silent.

“I don’t know what happened to them or if they are alive,” Ali told the AP. “We pray that all those missing come out safely.”

Mohammad Abrar said he managed to escape the fire, but his brother, Saifur Rehman, a shop owner in the square, stayed behind. He said he feared for his safety.

The cause of the fire was not immediately known. Police said an investigation was underway.

Karachi, the capital of Sindh province, has a history of deadly fires, often blamed on poor safety standards and illegal construction. In November 2023, a fire at a shopping center in the city killed 10 people and injured 22 others.

A massive fire at a garment factory in Karachi in 2012 killed 260 people.