KARACHI: The death toll from Karachi’s Gul Plaza inferno rose to 15 on Monday as nine more bodies were recovered and firefighting efforts resumed after flames re-emerged from the smouldering debris.
The fire, which erupted on Saturday night at the mall located on M.A Jinnah Road, was finally doused after more than 24 hours on Sunday. A search operation was initiated amid fears of further casualties. Officials initially suspected an electrical short circuit, but said the cause has yet to be confirmed.
Rescue 1122 spokesperson Hassaanul Haseeb Khan said they had managed to control the flames by upto 95 per cent, and the cooling phase has been initiated.
“The cause of the fire is still unknown,” he noted. Officials have said it was believed that a short-circuit sparked the blaze.
South Deputy Commissioner (DC) Javed Nabi Khosa had also said the cooling process was ongoing.
Earlier in the day, Fire Officer Zafar Khan stated that 90pc of the blaze had been brought under control, although “flames are still present in the inner market”.
“The building’s front and back façades have collapsed, and there are many cracks on the inside as well. So it is extremely dangerous,” Zafar said, adding that rescue teams were conducting “short-term operations” at some spots where they suspected bodies were present.
Rescue 1122 Chief Operating Officer Dr Abid Jalal said that firefighting efforts restarted from the Rimpa Plaza side, as flames continue to emerge from the smouldering debris.
According to South DIG Syed Asad Raza, 15 bodies have been recovered so far by rescue personnel from the now-gutted shopping plaza.
“Samples of eight family members [have been] collected for DNA matching,” he said.
“Fire safety operation has been completed. Cooling process has now started with the removal of debris from the site by KMC, TMC and Pakistan Navy personnel,” said the DIG.
According to DIG Raza, the shopping plaza had a total of 16 gates — 13 on the ground floor and three in the basement — out of which only two gates were open on the ground, while one exit was open in the basement.
Separately, police surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed told Dawn that five bodies were brought to the Civil Hospital Karachi.
CM Murad vows to rehabilitate affected traders
Separately, in a meeting with representatives of the traders’ community, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah vowed to immediately rehabilitate the affected businesses.
“We will reconstruct the building of Gul Plaza,” he announced, according to a statement from his spokesperson Abdul Rasheed Channa.
The chief minister also formed a committee that would make recommendations regarding the businesses’ rehabilitation and affectees’ compensation.
“The Sindh government will have a forensic report conducted so the cause of the fire could be known.
Karachi Commissioner Hassan Naqvi informed the meeting that the death toll could surge to over 50. CM Murad, after being told that the cooling process was underway, ordered that the work to clear the rubble be initiated right away.
Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab briefed the chief minister that 16 fire tenders and bowsers were involved in the dousing operations, in which “50 to 60” firefighters participated.
He further said that the Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation (KWSC) had provided tankers and 431,000 gallons of water for the fire-extinguishing operations.
CM’s aide Giyan Chand Essarani informed the meeting that the blaze erupted at 10:36pm on January 17, adding that Rescue 1122 ambulances reached the site within six minutes.
He further said that a total of 24 fire rescue vehicles took part in the operations, including those of KMC and the Pakistan Navy.
Scores missing
The Sindh government has established a helpline to report anyone missing due to the fire or to direct their queries, which can be contacted at 0313-5048048, 021-99206372 and 021-99205625.
Gul Plaza Traders Association President Tanveer Pasta said over 40 shopkeepers and salespersons were among those missing in the wake of the incident.
Meanwhile, Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori, who visited the site of the incident on Monday, told the media that “more than 70 people” remained missing. DIG Raza stated the same figure.
A woman speaks to reporters (not pictured) as she mourns six missing family members who were shopping at Gul Plaza Shopping Centre for a wedding ceremony, on Jan 19, 2026. — Reuters
“The reports of more than 70 missing persons are extremely alarming and constitute a major tragedy,” said the governor, adding that the incident has now “turned into a national tragedy”.
“Information about a pregnant woman being trapped inside is extremely concerning,” he said.
He further stated that while determining the cause of the fire is necessary, the priority for now is to save lives. “I am in constant contact with three major builders of the city for the restoration of the market,” he added, elaborating on efforts to provide relief to traders.
Tessori vowed to “stand with the affected people” until their losses are fully compensated.
“My cousin was inside,” said Raheel Ibrahim about Naveed Juma, who he said used to work at a shop on Gul Plaza’s first floor.
“His phone was ringing till 12am [on Saturday] but he did not receive calls,” he said, adding that his cousin’s phone was unreachable afterwards.
“Till now there is no news of him,” Ibrahim said, adding that his 43-year-old cousin had three young daughters.
Another elderly man from the Metroville area said his daughter, daughter-in-law and sister had come to the mall for shopping on Saturday.
“We have had no contact with them after 8pm that night,” he added.
The distraught man lamented, “Wherever we go, they push us away like a football that ‘ask so and so, we do not know anything’.”
Noting that some bodies were unidentifiable and needed DNA samples for cross-matching, the man said he was being told that details about that process would take two to three days.
Traffic police announce alternate routes
In an advisory by the Karachi Traffic Police, the portion of M.A. Jinnah Road from Tibet Centre to Garden Chowk is closed to traffic due to ongoing rescue and recovery operations at Gul Plaza.
The traffic police advised that commuters heading towards Tower from Numaish should turn right at Capri and proceed via Saddar Dawakhana, Empress Market, Regal, Burns Road, or Fresco Chowk, then take the route from Dilpasand to M.A. Jinnah Road to reach Tower.
Commuters heading towards M.A. Jinnah Road or Mazar-i-Quaid from Fresco Chowk should continue straight towards Regal Market, turn right at Empress Market towards Frere Chowk, and then proceed to M.A. Jinnah Road.
‘Heartbroken’
United Kingdom’s High Commissioner to Pakistan Jane Marriot said she was “heartbroken” by the tragic fire at the shopping plaza.
“May strength be with the community at this time,” she said.
The German Consulate in Karachi, in a post on X, said the incident at Gul Plaza was deeply saddening. “Our thoughts & prayers are with the victims, their families, and those injured.”
The French embassy in Pakistan expressed “profound sorrow over the loss of many lives in the devastating fire”.
“We offer our sincere condolences to the bereaved families and stand with the people of Pakistan in this moment of grief,” the embassy said on X.
‘Delayed response’
The terrifying fire that erupted at Gul Plaza on Saturday night could have been contained sooner, but the delayed response and limited resources from the authorities allowed the blaze to rage unchecked for hours.
Traders and area residents said that timely action from the Saddar Fire Station, other civic bodies, and local officials could have saved lives and livelihoods, yet the firefighting operation only picked up in full force early Sunday.
Shopkeepers at the site told Dawn that if the firefighting team had arrived with full force and resources, the scene would probably look very different.
One shopkeeper pointed out that the Saddar Fire Station is only a few minutes away, yet no timely action was taken.
A local resident said they were repeatedly told on Saturday night that there was a shortage of water, which hampered the operation.
People criticised the Sindh government and the Karachi mayor, questioning where the mayor and provincial ministers were during the crisis. They also highlighted that the condition of M.A. Jinnah Road makes it extremely difficult to position even two water bowsers side by side.
Additional input by Asim Khan
