Karachi mall fire kills six, many missing
Blaze traps shoppers and exposes safety failures
A devastating blaze swept through a multi-storey shopping complex on MA Jinnah Road in central Karachi, killing six people—including a firefighter—and injuring at least 20, officials said, as rescue teams continued to search a building still at risk of collapse. The fire erupted late at night and rapidly consumed the Gul Plaza shopping centre, reducing shops to charred ruins and filling corridors and stairwells with thick smoke that trapped shoppers and workers on upper floors. Fire crews fought the inferno through the night and into the following day, using ladders, hydraulic platforms and thermal equipment while onlookers and devastated shopkeepers gathered nearby.
Rescue 1122 officials described the operation as perilous, warning sections of the damaged building remain unstable. Mayor Murtaza Wahab said around 60 people are still missing and search efforts are ongoing. Hospitals treated numerous victims for smoke inhalation and burns; several survivors recalled scenes of panic, with people smashing windows and calling for help as visibility dropped to near zero.
Shop owners conveyed heavy personal and financial losses: one vendor estimated two decades of business wiped out, valuing her loss at 12–13 crore rupees (roughly $430,000–$465,000), while others emphasized concern for lives lost over material damage. Initial inquiries point to a possible electrical fault, but investigators have not confirmed the exact cause.
Local officials and residents criticized apparent safety shortcomings at the centre, saying the complex lacked adequate fire exits and alarm systems—issues common in the city where enforcement of building and safety regulations is frequently weak. The disaster has prompted public anger and calls for accountability; authorities pledged a full inquiry and signalled potential legal action against those found responsible for safety violations.
As rescue teams continue to comb the unstable structure, officials cautioned the death toll could rise. The fire is among the deadliest commercial-building incidents in the city in recent years and has reignited concerns about overcrowding, poor construction practices and emergency preparedness in Karachi’s commercial districts.
