KARACHI: A search operation at Karachi’s Gul Plaza began after 10pm on Sunday evening as fire crews were finally able to douse the fire after 24 hours, with Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah saying that six deaths have been confirmed, but over 50 were reportedly missing.
The fire, which erupted on Saturday night at the mall located on MA Jinnah Road, had been brought under control by about 70 per cent by late afternoon, officials said.
Speaking to the media at around 7pm, CM Murad said, “I say with utmost grief that so far, it is confirmed that six people have lost their lives, including KMC firefighter Furqan.”
He added that 22 others were hurt and had now been discharged from hospitals as they had faced minor injuries.
“But what is very concerning […] is that around 58 people — some people even say more than 60 — are missing. May God give them more life.”
According to a list shared with Dawn around the same time, the South district office had received reports of 53 missing people from their families so far.
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.
A separate statement by the South Zone police also listed the following helpline contact numbers: 021-99205670, 021-99201196 and 021-99205691.
Hundreds of people had gathered around the building today, including distraught store owners whose businesses had turned to ash.
During his media talk, CM Murad noted that the mall was a three-storey building with a basement and housed more than 1,000 shops.
While the chief minister noted that the cause of the fire could not be ascertained for sure at this stage, he said a short circuit was being blamed for igniting the blaze in a shop with flammable material.
Terming it a “very upsetting” incident, he stressed that authorities were making efforts to find missing people.
The Sindh CM detailed that around 26 fire tenders, 10 bowsers and multiple snorkels took part in the fire extinguishing operations.
CM Murad, citing what he had been informed, said an alert about the fire was received at 10:16pm, and the first fire tender had reached the site at 10:27pm.
“All municipal authorities acted immediately, according to what I have been informed, and all these things will be verified.”
Asked whether Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had contacted him regarding the blaze, the Sindh CM said he had not been reached out to personally but “maybe he contacted the [provincial] government”.
Pointing out that the mall was constructed in the 1980s, he said, “I admit that we could not control the deterioration that, without any study, multi-level buildings were allowed. And now if we stop them, the builders make a fuss that they are being bothered.”
He highlighted that many buildings do not have materials to extinguish fire available inside the buildings, and stressed the need for fire exits to be properly marked.
‘Flammable material biggest challenge’
At around 4pm, South Deputy Commissioner (DC) Javed Nabi Khoso told Dawn that the fire had been brought under control by up to 70pc.
Speaking to Geo News, DC Khoso said authorities were gathering information about the number of people trapped inside the building.
“We have cordoned off the area and are trying to extinguish the blazes phase-wise,” he said.
Rescue 1122 Chief Operating Officer (COO) Abid Jalal told Geo News in the afternoon that “firefighting is under way from all three sides”.
He also said that the fire had been brought under control by about 70-75pc. However, he stressed that the building was very dilapidated.
“The backside has collapsed, and the front area is also about to collapse.”
Terming flammable material inside the mall as the “biggest challenge” in fully dousing the blaze, COO Jalal pointed out that accessing the building was very difficult.
“Sending firefighters inside right now is not without danger,” the rescue officer said. Therefore, he added, the team’s strategy was to control the fire first and then begin the search once they were able to enter the mall.
COO Jalal detailed that over 125 people, including firefighters, were engaged in the ongoing operations and about 20-22 vehicles of the fire brigade were involved.
A DawnNewsTV correspondent present at the site reported that all sides of the mall had been impacted, with one having “completely collapsed”.
He added that several people had come to look for their relatives, including shopkeepers working at the mall.
Delhi Colony residents Mansoor and Jameel told DawnNewsTV that they were unable to contact six of their family members who had come to Gul Plaza last night for shopping.
They said their last contact was at around 10:10pm last night, after which their mobile numbers were not reachable. The missing members comprised three women, two men and a 14-year-old girl.
Speaking to the media at the site in the afternoon, Karachi Deputy Mayor Salman Abdullah Murad said the search for missing people will begin after the fire has been put out and the cooling process has been completed.
‘Very old’ building
“There were goods such as crockery, clothes, electrical appliances, cosmetics and perfumes in various shops, due to which the fire intensified,” Rescue 1122 spokesperson Hassaanul Haseeb Khan explained.
Rescue officials try to extinguish a fire at Karachi’s Gul Plaza shopping mall on January 17. — DawnNewsTV
The spokesperson added that on Sunday morning, 20 fire tenders from different departments and institutions were being employed to extinguish the blaze.
“But the building appears very old, and there is a danger that its structure may fall at any time because of the impact of the fire. Thus, the rescue operation is being carried out with extreme caution,” he said.
“When we arrived, the fire from the ground floor had spread to the upper floors, and almost the entire building was already engulfed in flames,” Khan told Reuters.
A Rescue 1122 spokesperson told BBC Urdu early on Sunday that the fire “spread over 8,000 square yards is very intense and the process to extinguish it [fully] could take one to two days”.
Earlier in the day, police surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed also confirmed that six bodies and 11 injured had been brought to Civil Hospital Karachi (CHK) so far. State-run APP reported that an emergency has been declared at the hospital.
In a statement run by APP, Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said “more than 17 people” had been taken to hospitals due to suffocation, several of whom were discharged after receiving medical treatment.
Noting that Gul Plaza was an old building, he said the final cause of the fire will only be known after the completion of investigations. He added that 40 snorkels were taking part in the operation.
A firefighter identified as Furqan Shoukat also lost his life during the fire-extinguishing efforts, according to a statement by Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab.
“In this time of grief, we stand with the family of martyred Furqan and the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation will provide full support to its martyred employees,” the mayor was quoted as saying by APP.
He said teams and machinery are fully engaged in extinguishing the fire.
In a separate statement, Wahab said all municipal departments have been directed to provide full support to the victims.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in a separate statement reported by state-run Radio Pakistan, also expressed sorrow over the firefighter’s death.
He highlighted that Furqan sacrificed his life while saving the public, and prayed for his elevated ranks.
‘Seemingly caused by short circuit’
“It appears to have been caused by a circuit breaker,” Sindh Inspector General (IG) Javed Alam Odho told reporters at the site, noting that Gul Plaza housed around 1,200 shops and also had a basement.
“The layout and construction of this market was such, and secondly, the nature of the items in it — such as carpets, blankets and other objects made of resins — so the fire is still simmering because of these.”
Garden Sub-divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Mohsin Raza also said in a statement on Saturday night that the fire appeared to have been caused by a short circuit at one of the shops, before spreading to the entire mall.
Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar directed officials to divert traffic in the area to alternative routes for the safe passage of citizens.
In a statement, he said that the cause of the fire should be ascertained through a thorough investigation. He said that the building should be secured so that the fire does not spread.
The minister said the routes should be cleared so that fire brigade vehicles could access the scene.
Smoke rises as a blaze continues to engulf Karachi’s Gul plaza on Sunday morning. — Screengrab from video via Edhii
A Sindh Rangers spokesperson said in a statement that personnel had been deployed to the scene of the incident.
“Rangers personnel are actively participating in rescue activities and rescue operations along with the fire brigade staff,” the statement, which was issued shortly after the fire erupted, said. “Officers and personnel will remain at the scene until the rescue operation is completed.”
The statement further read that in addition to aiding in rescue operations, a contingent of Rangers had been deployed to cordon off the building for the safety of civilians and to ensure traffic flow.
“Alongside fire tenders, Rangers personnel are evacuating trapped people and ensuring the safety of valuables,” the statement read, adding that protecting lives and preventing the fire from further spreading was a top priority.
President, PM vow assistance as traders fear huge losses
Traders feared huge losses as their goods were reduced to ashes by the blaze.
While the estimates vary, the All City Traders Ittehad Association (ACTIA) estimated losses worth around Rs2-2.5 billion, including “repair and reconstruction costs”.
In a statement, ACTIA patron-in-chief Sharjeel Goplani said chairman Zahid Amin and other members of the association had conducted an assessment of the affected mall.
Addressing the Sindh government and the prime minister, Goplani said, “Currently, 1,200 traders have suffered losses. This should be compensated immediately.”
President Asif Ali Zardari and PM Shehbaz expressed their deep grief over the fire at Gul Plaza and the resulting loss of lives.
In a statement reported by APP, the premier instructed that all possible assistance should be provided to the affected traders and other individuals, and that all necessary facilities should be provided to the injured.
He stressed that all relevant departments should work together in the rescue operation.
In his statement, President Zardari directed that the Sindh government — which is of his PPP — and the relevant authorities “provide immediate and every possible assistance to the affected people and the traders”.
“No stone should be left unturned in providing the best medical facilities to the injured,” the statement quoted him as saying.
Memon, in a statement reported by APP, said the Sindh government will decide the future course of action after a complete assessment of the losses.
The minister said that whether it is the trader community or other affected individuals, the government will make every effort to provide maximum possible assistance within the framework of law and regulations.
CM Murad orders inquiry
Taking notice of the incident, CM Murad issued orders to Karachi Commissioner Hassan Naqvi for an immediate inquiry into the matter and to prepare a report on the cause of the fire.
CM Murad was briefed about the incident earlier in the day at the CM House by Commissioner Naqvi and DC Khoso, who informed him that the fire broke out between 9:45pm and 10:15pm.
“The fire safety arrangements in the building should be inspected,” CM Murad was quoted as saying in a statement.
He ordered the strict implementation of fire safety rules and action against those whose negligence or carelessness would be proven.
“A fire safety audit should immediately be conducted of Karachi’s commercial buildings,” CM Murad said.
According to the briefing, more than 1,200 shops were gutted in the incident. A massive emergency response was launched, involving 22 fire brigade vehicles, 10 water bowzers, four snorkel vehicles, and 33 Rescue 1122 ambulances.
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari had directed CM Murad and Wahab to deploy all resources to control the fire.
Expressing grief over the loss of lives and property, he demanded an immediate probe into the blaze and ordered that steps be taken to prevent such future tragedies.
Chief secretary, governor visit site
Sindh Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah visited the site of the incident earlier in the day to assess the rescue operations.
The South deputy commissioner and Rescue 1122 officials briefed him on the steps taken to control the fire.
The chief secretary issued orders for the deployment of all available fire tenders and additional rescue workers.
Soon after the fire began, Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori had also visited Gul Plaza, where he was briefed on the rescue and relief operations.
Standing alongside the traders whose shops were ablaze, the governor issued directives for the rehabilitation of the affected.
Prior to his visit, in a statement from his office, Tessori expressed concern over the incident and ordered the relevant authorities to immediately expedite rescue and relief operations.
He also ordered an immediate report on the incident and firefighting operations, while assuring traders and others affected by the blaze of full cooperation.
Frequent fires in city
Gul Plaza has witnessed fire incidents in the past as well.
In August 2016, more than 25 shops were burnt in a huge fire that broke out in the multi-storey market. It was believed that a short circuit caused the fire.
A fire at a warehouse in Gul Plaza in August 2008, also caused by an electric short-circuit, destroyed some goods. However, no casualty was reported.
Fires frequently erupt in buildings across Pakistan due to a mix of poor infrastructure, weak enforcement of safety regulations, and widespread negligence. Many structures lack proper fire exits, alarms, and emergency protocols, while faulty wiring and overloaded power systems increase the risk of electrical short circuits.
At a conference in October 2025 following multiple fire incidents, city planners, fire experts and disaster management authorities raised serious concerns over the deteriorating state of fire preparedness in Karachi.
They urged authorities to take immediate action to align the metropolis’s fire safety systems with international standards, warning that the current state leaves the city dangerously exposed to large-scale emergencies.
In December, the Sindh Assembly voted unanimously in favour of an opposition-sponsored resolution that called for the comprehensive modernisation of Karachi’s inadequate and substandard firefighting system.
Additional input from Reuters
