International
oi-Ashish Rana
At
least
six
people,
including
a
firefighter,
lost
their
lives
after
a
devastating
fire
swept
through
Gul
Plaza,
a
multi-storey
shopping
mall
on
Karachi’s
crowded
MA
Jinnah
Road
late
on
Saturday
night.
Mall
Fire
A
fire
at
the
multi-storey
Gul
Plaza
shopping
mall
in
Karachi
on
Saturday
night
resulted
in
at
least
six
fatalities,
including
a
firefighter,
with
rescue
operations
continuing
into
Sunday.
Sindh
authorities
suspect
a
short
circuit
as
the
cause.
Chief
Minister
Murad
Ali
Shah
ordered
an
inquiry,
and
the
incident
has
highlighted
poor
fire
safety
standards
in
Karachi.
The
blaze
triggered
a
prolonged
rescue
operation
that
continued
into
Sunday,
with
authorities
fearing
that
several
people
were
still
trapped
inside
the
building
more
than
12
hours
after
the
fire
first
broke
out.
Fire
breaks
out
late
night,
rescue
teams
rush
in
Sindh
Inspector
General
of
Police
Javed
Alam
Odho
said
the
fire
started
at
around
10:45
pm,
a
time
when
most
shopkeepers
were
shutting
their
stores
or
had
already
left
the
premises.
Emergency
services
were
alerted
soon
after,
and
multiple
firefighting
and
rescue
teams
were
dispatched
to
the
scene.
Rescue
1122
spokesperson
Hassaanul
Haseeb
Khan
said
that
around
20
people
were
pulled
out
of
the
building
and
taken
to
nearby
hospitals.
However,
he
noted
that
rescue
efforts
were
slowed
due
to
the
complex
internal
structure
of
the
mall.
“Once
the
cooling
starts,
we
will
start
further
rescue
operations,
but
the
layout
of
the
building
is
very
complex
as
it
houses
a
basement
and
mezzanine
floor
with
hundreds
of
shops
and
stores,” Khan
said,
as
quoted
by
Dawn.
Intense
flames
and
structural
damage
complicate
firefighting
Television
visuals
showed
firefighters
wearing
protective
gear
battling
towering
flames
that
burst
out
of
windows
and
balconies,
while
thick
black
smoke
engulfed
the
area
and
could
be
seen
from
several
blocks
away.
Dozens
of
fire
engines
were
deployed,
using
ladders,
water
cannons
and
hoses
to
reach
the
upper
floors
of
the
mall.
Officials
said
the
fire
spread
quickly
as
it
broke
out
in
an
area
where
shopkeepers
had
stored
imported
garments,
clothing
and
plastic
household
items,
all
of
which
accelerated
the
blaze.
Nearly
40
snorkels
were
brought
into
operation,
and
by
Sunday
afternoon,
authorities
said
about
60
per
cent
of
the
fire
had
been
brought
under
control.
The
inferno
also
caused
extensive
structural
damage.
Rescue
officials
reported
cracks
in
the
walls
of
the
building,
while
a
DawnNewsTV
correspondent
said
one
side
of
the
mall
had
“completely
collapsed”.
According
to
The
News
International,
poor
ventilation
and
sealed
windows
caused
smoke
to
accumulate
inside,
making
it
extremely
difficult
for
rescue
teams
to
operate.
Fears
grow
over
people
still
trapped
inside
Sindh
Labour
and
Social
Protection
Minister
Saeed
Ghani
warned
that
several
people
could
still
be
inside
Gul
Plaza.
District
South
Deputy
Commissioner
Khoso
told
Geo
News,
“There
are
fears
that
people
are
on
the
first
and
mezzanine
floors.
The
rescue
teams
have
not
been
able
to
reach
these
floors.”
Sindh
IG
Aslam
said
a
short
circuit
was
suspected
as
the
cause
of
the
fire,
though
he
added
that
the
exact
reason
would
be
confirmed
only
after
the
blaze
was
fully
extinguished.
Chief
Minister
Murad
Ali
Shah
has
ordered
a
formal
inquiry
and
instructed
Karachi
Commissioner
Hassan
Naqvi
to
investigate
the
incident
and
submit
a
detailed
report.
Prime
Minister
Shehbaz
Sharif
and
President
Asif
Ali
Zardari
expressed
condolences
over
the
loss
of
lives.
The
tragedy
has
once
again
drawn
attention
to
Karachi’s
poor
fire
safety
standards,
with
the
city
witnessing
several
deadly
mall
fires
in
recent
years,
including
a
November
2023
incident
that
claimed
10
lives.
