KARACHI: Rescue and search operations continued on Tuesday at Karachi’s Gul Plaza, where a deadly fire has claimed at least 23 lives, with dozens still missing, as authorities worked to clear debris from the shopping mall’s basement and upper structures.
The fire erupted late Saturday night at the Gul Plaza on M.A. Jinnah Road, a ground-plus-three-storey commercial building housing around 1,200 shops spread over approximately 8,000 square yards. Parts of the structure collapsed due to the blaze. Although firefighters initially declared the fire extinguished after more than 24 hours on Sunday, flames reignited on Monday from smouldering debris, prompting renewed firefighting efforts.
Deputy Inspector General (DIG) South Syed Asad Raza told Dawn that rescue teams had not entered the building’s first floor overnight and that no additional bodies were recovered during that period. He said rescue personnel had entered the adjacent Rimpa Plaza and that operations were ongoing.
DIG Raza said 38 people were currently confirmed missing, based on mobile phone location data traced to Gul Plaza. He added that the whereabouts of another 37 individuals could not be linked to the shopping mall. Earlier, the number of missing persons had been reported to be over 60.
Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab, who remained present at the site overnight, said the blaze had been brought “under control” through joint efforts of the district administration, rescue agencies, and the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC). He said rescue teams had entered the mall’s basement and were clearing debris to access remaining areas.
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The mayor said all KMC departments would remain on high alert until the rescue operation was completed and all missing persons were accounted for. He added that heavy machinery had been deployed to clear the mall’s roof, and cranes were being used to remove vehicles parked on top of the building. According to Wahab, heavy machinery would remain at the site until the operation concluded.
Late Monday night, DIG Raza confirmed that 23 bodies had been recovered from the debris, adding that in some cases, only body parts had been found. Rescue 1122 Chief Operating Officer Dr Abid Jalal said that while more than 20 bodies had been retrieved, the final death toll could not yet be confirmed.
“Some bodies have been recovered in the form of body parts from various locations,” Dr Jalal said, noting that forensic and technical verification was required to determine whether the remains belonged to the same or different individuals.
The rescue teams have begun removing vehicles parked on the roof using cranes.https://t.co/01AUxHA6eh
— Dawn.com (@dawn_com) January 20, 2026
Speaking earlier on a television programme, Mayor Wahab said the number of missing persons stood at 65, adding that several bodies had yet to be identified and DNA analysis was underway. He said firefighting operations had ended and cooling work was in progress, while an inquiry committee had been formed to determine the causes of the incident.
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