ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday expressed deep grief over the deadly fire at Gul Plaza in Karachi and directed authorities to provide all possible facilities to those injured, according to a statement shared on his official social media account.
The prime minister prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured and instructed relevant departments to ensure comprehensive assistance for those affected by the blaze.
“All necessary measures should be taken to protect lives and property, and every possible assistance must be provided to the affected traders and others,” the statement said.
Firefighters battled the massive blaze for a second consecutive day on Sunday in Pakistan’s largest city after the fire tore through the shopping mall in Karachi’s historic downtown, killing at least six people and reducing large sections of the building to rubble, officials said.
The fire broke out late Saturday at Gul Plaza, a four-storey commercial building housing around 1,200 shops, and spread rapidly through stores stocked with cosmetics, garments and plastic goods, according to rescue officials.
Videos circulating on social media showed towering flames engulfing the structure as firefighters worked through the night to prevent the fire from spreading to nearby buildings in the densely packed business district. Hundreds of people gathered outside the mall, including distraught shop owners watching their livelihoods turn to ash.
Rescue services received the first emergency call at 10:38 p.m. local time on Saturday, reporting a fire on the building’s ground floor.
“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,” Rescue 1122 spokesperson Hassanul Haseeb Khan said.
Police surgeon Dr. Summaiya Syed said six bodies had been brought to Karachi’s Civil Hospital, while 11 injured people were receiving treatment.
“We are invoking mass disaster protocols,” Syed told Reuters.
Images from inside the mall showed charred shop interiors and a persistent orange glow as flames continued to burn. Local media reported that parts of the structure had collapsed, raising fears among rescue officials that the entire building could give way.
Karachi’s chief rescue officer, Dr. Abid Jalal Sheikh, said around 75% of the fire had been extinguished, but crews would need another four to six hours to bring it fully under control.
“Five bodies have been recovered from the four-storey building and its basement so far,” Sheikh said, adding that search operations were continuing.
Rescue officials also confirmed that a firefighter died while battling flames on the upper floors. Sheikh said some people might still be trapped inside, as families continued searching for missing relatives.
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