KARACHI: The search operation at Karachi’s Gul Plaza continued on Thursday in the wake of a devastating inferno, which has claimed over 60 lives so far.
The fire had erupted at the Gul Plaza on Saturday night. While the fire at the mall located on MA Jinnah Road was said to have been doused after more than 24 hours on Sunday, firefighting efforts had to resume on Monday as flames reignited from the smouldering debris.
The plaza, parts of which collapsed due to the blaze, was a ground-plus-three-storey building with 1,200 shops spread over 8,000 square yards.
Rescue 1122’s urban search and rescue teams continued to comb through the debris overnight, using specialised tools and cutters, including thermal imaging cameras.
On Wednesday, in a harrowing development, at least 30 bodies were recovered from a gutted shop of the ill-fated plaza.
Karachi South Deputy Inspector General Syed Asad Raza told Dawn that the remains of 30 humans had been recovered from a shop called “Dubai Crockery” located on the mezzanine floor.
He said that earlier in the day, rescue workers had recovered three more bodies, which had taken the toll from 28 to 31. He added that with the discovery of the bodies from the gutted shop, the death toll was estimated to have risen to 61.
More to follow.
