The number of lives lost in the tragic Gul Plaza fire rose yet again as two more bodies were recovered from the remains, taking the death toll to 73.
Police Sur`n Dr Summaiya Syed confirmed to the media that the death toll has increased to 73.
She added that so far, 23 deceased individuals have been identified, including 16 through DNA matching, six through facial identification and one because of their CNIC.
Dr Syed stated that “all DNA tests” were being conducted at the Sindh Forensic DNA and Serology Lab at the University of Karachi.
The deadly inferno, which erupted on the night of January 17 at the mall and took nearly two days to be fully extinguished, has so far claimed at least 73 lives and left over 1,100 shops in ruins. Over a week later, efforts to scour through the debris for the remains of the dead are still underway.
Speaking to the media, District South DC Javed Nabi Khoso said that search and recovery work would be completed today, though the removal of debris from the building site would continue.
The DC confirmed that human remains were recovered late night and have been sent for DNA testing. He added that a case related to the incident has been registered and investigations are currently underway.
However, Khoso cautioned against speculation, saying that it would be premature to comment further until investigations are completed.
Moreover, a technical team from Lahore arrived at Karachi’s Gul Plaza on Sunday to conduct investigations as the rescue operation entered its ninth day. Police and district administration officials accompanied the investigative team, which includes forensic experts, during inspections of various locations within the plaza.
Marking is being carried out at locations where the search process has been completed, the urban search team said. The letter “H” has been marked at various points, indicating danger and the risk of the building collapsing, according to the team.
Meanwhile, a first information report (FIR) was registered at the Nabi Bux Police Station with provisions relating to negligence, carelessness, said the police.
The FIR, as per police officials, was registered against unidentified individuals and has been sealed after registration.
Confirming the FIR, Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar said that there are concerns of sabotage or terrorism, but the matter is not clear and anti-terror provisions will be added in the FIR if there’s relevant evidence.
Separately, Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) Chairman Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui has written a letter to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif seeking the formation of a Gul Plaza tragedy inquiry commission by the federal government.
The party, part of the ruling coalition in the Centre, wants the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), National Accountability Bureau (NAB), National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Military Intelligence (MI), Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), National Engineering Services (Nespak) and the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) to be included in the inquiry commission.
Separately, Sindh Governor KamranTessori stated that he would write letters to the Chief Justices of the Supreme Court and the Sindh High Court (SHC) to conduct an inquiry into the fire incident.
“Those responsible should be identified and punished without delay,” he added.