1.5kg Gold Retrieved from Burnt Jewellery Shop in Gul Plaza
KARACHI: Rescue authorities have recovered more than 1.5 kilograms of gold from a jewellery shop damaged in the deadly fire at Gul Plaza on M.A. Jinnah Road and handed it over to the shop owner.
According to rescue officials, search and clearance operations are continuing at the fire-hit commercial building, where a massive blaze erupted late Saturday night on January 17, claiming at least 71 lives while several people are still reported missing.
During the ongoing operation, rescue workers recovered gold jewellery worth over Rs60 million from a jewellery outlet inside the plaza. Officials said the gold sets were submerged in water during firefighting efforts but remained intact and undamaged.
The recovered valuables were handed over to the plaza administration and later returned to the shop owner, who expressed gratitude to the authorities and confirmed that all valuables were safely received.
Rescue 1122 spokesperson Hassan Ali said that a fresh search operation is underway in the basement of Gul Plaza. He added that some cash was also recovered during the operation and handed over to the administration. Parts of a digital video recorder (DVR) system were also found in the control room, and its hard disk has been sent for forensic examination.
Deputy Commissioner South Javed Nabi stated that more than 90 percent of the building has been cleared. He said the search operation is expected to conclude by tonight, adding that debris from sensitive sections of the building is being removed with extreme caution.
The deputy commissioner further said that a list of 82 individuals has been compiled, and families of missing persons have been urged to contact authorities if anyone remains unaccounted for. So far, 71 bodies have been recovered, while the search continues for another 10 to 11 people.
Authorities said debris removal will take additional time, while forensic analysis of the recovered DVR is currently underway to determine the cause and timeline of the incident.
