KARACHI: The tragedy of the Gul Plaza fire deepened as rescue teams recovered at least 30 bodies from a mezzanine-floor shop on Wednesday, raising the death toll from the city’s deadliest blaze in over a decade to 60, with dozens still missing.
The discovery was made after rescue teams moved to the mezzanine floor, following a pause in operations on the first and second floors.
DIG South Syed Asad Raza said all 30 bodies were found inside a single crockery shop on the mezzanine floor. He added that the rescue operation will move to its next phase once the bodies are transported to the hospital.
While initial reports suggested 20 to 25 bodies were inside the shop, DIG Raza confirmed the total number was 30. With the discovery at the shop, the death toll from the inferno rose to 60.
Following the discovery, the DIG South formed a special team to move the bodies to the Civil Hospital.
Rescue teams — including Rescue 1122, Edhi officials, Rangers, and Chhipa volunteers — were pulled back from the building, while a large number of ambulances were dispatched for the operation.
Police quickly cordoned off the area, with additional personnel called in to ensure smooth operations. Authorities, meanwhile, remained uncertain whether the recovered bodies were those of shopkeepers, workers, or customers.
Today, operations were concentrated on the third floor; however, around 2pm, efforts were temporarily paused, and teams were redirected to search the mezzanine floor.
Shop No. 144, where the bodies were discovered, was identified with the help of a shopkeeper who had seen people entering the shop during the incident.
The victims reportedly took refuge inside the shop after a stampede erupted in the mall during the fire’s initial moments.
Many others inside the building had sought shelter in shops, corners, and under sheds, as most of the shopping centre’s exits were closed when the fire broke out.
Earlier, water bowsers and other heavy machinery on the first and second floors were temporarily stopped from operating to allow access to the mezzanine level.
Meanwhile, Karachi South deputy commissioner noted that several areas of the building have not yet been cleared and that rescue operations in those sections will begin later in the day.
