Rescue personnel continued searching the wreckage of Karachi’s Gul Plaza on Tuesday for those reported missing in the deadly fire as the death toll reached 28.
The fire had erupted on Saturday night. The plaza, parts of which collapsed due to the blaze, was a ground-plus-three-storey building with 1,200 shops spread over 8,000 square yards.
According to Rescue 1122, the death toll had reached 28, with seven bodies handed over to the affected families. The statement by the rescue service said that 21 bodies were at the morgue, adding that they would be handed over to the families after a DNA test was conducted.
A separate list issued by police surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed also showed the death toll to be 28.
A statement issued by Keamari police said that the merchandise salvaged from the rubble was being shifted to the KMC Ground, adding that a contingent had been deployed for ensuring security.
Rescue services were searching the ill-fated building’s basement on Tuesday, with South Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Syed Asad Raza saying that rescue teams had not entered the building’s first floor.
He also stated that, using cell phone information, 38 of the more than 65 people reported missing had last been traced to Gul Plaza.
Earlier, Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab, who was present at the incident site overnight, said that the “blaze has been brought under control with the joint action of district administration, rescue agencies and Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC)”.
He added that rescue teams were clearing the debris and had entered the basement of the mall and assured that “all possible help will be provided to the affected families”.
Wahab vowed that “until all missing persons are found and the rescue operation is completed, all departments of the KMC are to remain on high alert”.
Later in the day, he said that nased on the KMC’s fire audito of various buildings, the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) had started to “take action”.
“A letter with a list of non-compliant buildings has been sent to the Association of Builders and Developers (Abad),” he said on X.
The SBCA letter attached with the post and addressed to the Abad chairman said that the KMC’s fire department had conducted a fire safety audit and identified owners/builders who had failed to meet safety requirements.
It called on the Abad chairman to direct its members to comply with the deficiencies highlighted within three days. “Immediate action is expected in the interest of public safety and the city at large, please,” the letter said.
Separately, Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori met with traders to discuss the tragedy’s impact on the businesses housed in Gul Plaza. He was flanked by multiple business leaders, including Jawed Bilwani, former president of the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI).
Tessori thanked business tycoon Rafiq Pardesi, who he said called him to pledge his services for reconstructing Gul Plaza on a cost-to-cost basis, without any profit.
“We should not play the blame game. Once an incident has occurred, we must pay and compensate for it. We must bring forward those mistakes, but we all must console the traders’ community that has suffered,” the governor said.
While appreciating the Sindh government’s announcement of Rs10 million compensation for the families of the deceased, he underscored the need to take steps to prevent such incidents.
Tessori thanked the Pakistan Navy for sending their fire brigade “within 20 minutes, as well as the police for their efforts. He stressed the need to consult the president of the charred mall’s association and inquire about the management’s role.
“Those involved in such acts, the lower staff, the inspectors who take money for clearing these shops and ignoring safety measures – that money is payment for murder, not bribery,” the governor asserted, pointing out the lack of adherence to safety protocols.
Tessori said he listened to a phone call that a Baloch man made to his seven-months pregnant wife, who was inside the plaza and crying for help.
“Plazas can be reconstructed and everyone will get money. But we all should be afraid of the wails emanating from this city,” he said.
“We must learn lessons from this incident. If such a murderous plaza stands or is about to be built, we must prevent it,” he asserted. The governor noted that legislation stopping such buildings from being constructed existed but lacked implementation.
He called on the KCCI to form a committee to seek reports from the management of plazas, offices and other public spaces about potential safety hazards.
Tessori also said that he would write a joint letter with the Saylani chief to the Karachi mayor proposing that all traders from Gul Plaza be immediately moved to an abandoned parking plaza near Empress Market to return to work.
Meanwhile, Bilwani thanked Tessori and noted that he was the “first” official to reach the site.
He recalled that when the blaze erupted, he urged people to help each other instead of questioning who or what caused the fire. “Karachi’s people are at the forefront in such things [to help others].”
The businessman said he also told CM Murad that traders will prioritise helping those in need after the fire incident instead of blaming others for it.