The massive fire which swept through the Gul Plaza in Karachi was almost doused on Monday morning with the death toll shooting to 14 and about 60 were still missing. The huge blaze which erupted in the plaza on Saturday night took 35 hours to extinguish with fire-fighters saying they have almost finished their job, though they continued their efforts to remove the rubble as they heard people’s cries from inside and also fearing the fragile multi-storey plaza structure might collapse. 

The rescue workers retrieved eight more bodies from the rubble on Monday morning which raised the death toll to 14 including a fire-fighter and a child. The Pakistan Army units also took part in the operation to put out the fire, with authorities fearing that several people may still be trapped inside the damaged building.Army units, along with the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO), have been deployed to support the civil authorities, firefighters and rescue teams in clearing debris and accessing areas made unreachable due to structural damage. 

Heavy machinery and specialised teams have been brought in, while an Army engineering unit has been placed on standby to assess the building’s stability and ensure safe entry for rescuers. The fire broke out late Saturday at Gul Plaza and quickly spread to shops selling cosmetics, clothing, and plastic goods, according to Abid Jalal Sheikh, the megacity’s chief firefighter. The fire was almost extinguished, and the search for dozens of missing people was ongoing, said Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah.

 The five more bodies were found in the four-storey building and its basement, where about 1,200 shops were located. Firefighters reported that a firefighter had died while trying to extinguish the flames on the upper floors. The dead bodies have been shifted to the Trauma Centre at Civil Hospital. Television footage showed dozens of firefighters in protective gear, as thick smoke rose from the damaged building. Parts of the structure collapsed during the blaze. 

The cause of the fire was not yet known and an investigation was still under way. After gaining limited access to the fire-hit shopping mall, fire and rescue crews have now begun preparing to enter deeper sections of the building by cutting windows with cutters and breaking down walls with hammers to widen the search for survivors.A total of 22 fire brigade vehicles, 10 water bowsers, four snorkels and 33 ambulances have been deployed at the site.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)