ISLMABAD: Rescue workers in Pakistan’s largest Karachi city pushed deeper into a fire-gutted shopping mall on Tuesday, combing floor by floor through charred debris in a grim search for bodies after a deadly blaze.
Officials said the death toll from the inferno had climbed to 26 after two more bodies were recovered overnight, burned beyond recognition.
Despite days of rescue operations, authorities warned that the tragedy may not yet be over, with 83 people still reported missing, according to the latest official figures.
Teams equipped with breathing apparatus entered the blackened structure at first light on Tuesday, sifting through collapsed ceilings, twisted metal and piles of ash in hopes of locating victims trapped inside when the fire erupted.
Outside the cordoned-off plaza, scenes of anguish unfolded as relatives of the missing waited anxiously for news. Families — including children, women and elderly people — sat huddled around the building, many clutching photographs or identity documents, their faces marked by exhaustion and fear.
“I just want to know whether my son is alive or not,” said one man, his voice breaking as he scanned the entrance where ambulances moved in and out.
Rescue officials said operations would continue until every floor had been searched and all missing persons accounted for, even as hopes faded among families gathered at the site.
Authorities have yet to determine the cause of the blaze, while an investigation into possible safety violations at the mall is underway.
Families sat on the pavement through the night, some wrapped in shawls against the cold, others clutching photographs, identity cards or scraps of paper with phone numbers written on them.
Women wept quietly while elderly men stared silently at the smoke-stained building, refusing to leave.
“My brother went inside to open his shop and never came out,” said one woman, fighting back tears. “They tell us to wait, but every hour feels like a year.”
Nearby, a man broke down as ambulances passed the barricades. “If he is alive, tell me. If he is dead, tell me,” he said, his voice shaking. “This waiting is killing us.”
Some relatives said they had not slept for days, surviving on tea and water as they scanned rescue workers’ faces for any sign of news.
“We are not asking for miracles,” said another man whose two cousins were missing. “We just want answers.”
The fire started late on Saturday at the sprawling, multi-storey Gul Plaza shopping centre in the city’s business district and burned for more than 24 hours, hampering rescue efforts in the densely packed area.
Firefighters said the lack of ventilation in the building, which houses more than 1,200 shops, caused thick smoke to fill the mall and slowed efforts to reach people trapped inside.
The inferno left parts of the building collapsed amid uproar over alleged shortcomings in the authorities’ response, with rescuers making way into the building by cutting windows and demolishing walls with hammers. Several bodies and human remains were recovered overnight as rescuers gained limited access to the gutted Gul Plaza shopping center.
Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab visited the site late Monday night and instructed authorities to complete the operation at all costs, placing all Karachi Metropolitan Corporation departments on alert. Additional heavy machinery has been deployed, and authorities have begun removing vehicles from the roof; 32 vehicles, including cars, vans, motorcycles and a rickshaw, have so far been safely lowered and returned to their owners.
Karachi Commissioner Hassan Naqvi said 26 bodies have been recovered, with 13 identified so far, adding that DNA tests will be conducted to identify the remaining victims. He said 75 reports of missing persons have been formally registered.
An inquiry committee has launched an investigation, and officials warned that strict action would follow if criminal negligence is established.
Deputy Commissioner Javed Nabi Khosa said a decision on whether to demolish the building would be taken after the rescue operation concludes. Debris removal has begun, while damage assessment will be carried out later on the provincial government’s instructions.
Rescue officials also halted an attempt by a shopkeeper to drill into the structure to reach his premises, citing fears that such activity could trigger a collapse. Meanwhile, a survivor described escaping through dense smoke before losing consciousness, saying several family members and workers were still missing.
Rescue 1122 Chief Operating Officer Abid Jalaluddin Sheikh said multiple search operations are underway at five identified points, alongside firefighting and cooling work to stabilise the site.
