Gul Plaza fire: 23 bodies recovered, 69 reported missing in Karachi blaze
KARACHI: The devastating Gul Plaza fire on M.A. Jinnah Road has emerged as one of Karachi’s deadliest commercial market tragedies in recent years, as authorities confirmed that 23 bodies have been recovered while 69 people are still reported missing, according to DIG South.
The inferno broke out around 10:00pm on January 17 and raged for more than 34 hours before being brought under control. Despite the fire being contained, rescue officials have declared the structure extremely fragile, raising serious fears of further collapse as search operations continue inside the burnt commercial complex.
DIG South confirmed that six of the recovered bodies have been identified, while the remaining victims will undergo DNA testing to establish their identities. He added that 32 of the missing individuals were last seen inside Gul Plaza, intensifying concerns that many may still be trapped beneath debris.
All entry points to Gul Plaza and the adjacent Rampa Plaza have been sealed, with only authorised rescue personnel permitted inside. Police, Rangers, the Pakistan Army and civil administration are jointly overseeing security and recovery operations as engineers assess the stability of the damaged building.
The Gul Plaza fire prompted a major emergency response, with the Chief Fire Officer confirming the blaze was classified as a third-degree fire. Flames erupted simultaneously across multiple sections of the four-storey commercial centre, affecting over 1,200 shops spread across nearly 1.75 acres. Firefighters faced immense challenges navigating blocked access routes and dense crowds, while one firefighter tragically lost his life during the operation.
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah announced financial assistance of Rs10 million for the families of those who lost their lives in the Gul Plaza fire. He said compensation disbursement would begin immediately and assured that relief would also be extended to traders whose businesses were destroyed.
The chief minister acknowledged that rescue teams were attempting entry from three different points due to structural damage and reiterated that tracing missing persons remains the government’s top priority. He also ordered inquiries into any possible negligence or delays in firefighting response.
As rescue operations progressed, portions of the building collapsed, forcing teams to proceed with extreme caution. Heavy machinery and specialised engineering units from the Pakistan Army and Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) were deployed to clear debris and access unreachable sections of the plaza.
Rescue 1122 volunteers launched a systematic search inside the fire-ravaged structure, focusing on heavily damaged front-side shops. Officials confirmed that cooling operations are still underway, and fears persist that several people remain trapped under rubble.
Business and trader communities across Karachi have expressed grief and anger over the tragedy. The All Pakistan Anjuman-e-Tajiran Sindh announced three days of mourning, while traders accused authorities of delayed response and water shortages that hampered firefighting efforts. World Memon Organisation President Salman Iqbal described the incident as a catastrophic loss for thousands of families, particularly within the Memon trading community.
Protests erupted as traders demanded accountability and compensation, with emotional appeals from Gul Plaza Traders Association President Tanveer Qasim, who estimated that 80 to 100 people could still be inside the building. He said traders themselves rescued more than 200 people during the chaos.
Authorities have set up dedicated helplines and missing persons desks to assist families searching for loved ones. The CPLC Shanakht Programme has also established a help desk at Civil Hospital Karachi to facilitate victim identification through DNA testing.
Despite the fire being largely contained, officials warn that the Gul Plaza fire remains an ongoing emergency. Rescue and recovery efforts continue amid structural risks, as Karachi mourns one of its most harrowing commercial disasters.
