The death count from the massive fire at Karachi’s Gul Plaza climbed to at least 23 on Monday, as authorities said dozens of people were still unaccounted for. Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab confirmed that 65 individuals remained missing while rescue operations continued.
Emergency teams are still combing through the charred structure, recovering bodies from the smouldering debris of the commercial complex.
The inferno, described as the city’s worst in more than a decade, broke out late Saturday at the multi-storey plaza, which contains around 1,200 shops and covers an area larger than a football field. Firefighters battled the flames for over 24 hours before bringing the blaze largely under control.
Karachi South Deputy Inspector General Syed Asad Raza said that 23 bodies had been retrieved so far, noting that in some cases only partial remains were found.
Officials have also updated the list of missing persons displayed at the Deputy Commissioner South office. According to the revised record, 12 more names were added, taking the total number of missing people to 83.
Meanwhile, authorities have ordered a formal investigation into the incident. Karachi Commissioner Syed Hassan Naqvi announced that an inquiry committee, led by his office, will hold its first meeting on Tuesday to examine the causes and circumstances of the fire.
