- 30 charred bodies recovered from single crockery shop.
- 15 bodies recovered from Gul Plaza identified so far.
- Municipal Commissioner Afzal Zaidi removed from post.
KARACHI: A technical committee has recommended that the blaze-damaged Gul Plaza be demolished after completion of the ongoing search operation, declaring the structure “dangerous”.
The technical committee, comprising officials from the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) and the Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) made the recommendations after visiting the gutted plaza on Karachi’s MA Jinnah Road.
The port city’s largest fire in more than a decade broke out late on Saturday and quickly spread through the sprawling Gul Plaza shopping complex, famous for its 1,200 family-owned stores selling wedding clothes, toys, crockery and other goods.
The death toll from the inferno climbed to 67 after more charred bodies were recovered from the fire-gutted plaza, confirmed District South Deputy Commissioner Javed Nabi Khoso. Search and recovery operation is underway at the shopping mall, he added.
The shopping mall rescue operation entered its sixth day on Thursday, with rescuers continuing to search for 88 people still missing following the fire.
Speaking to Geo News, Police surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed said that at least 15 bodies recovered from the Gul Plaza have so far been identified.
Giving details, she said that six of the bodies were identifiable, one was identified through CNIC, while the remaining eight were identified through DNA testing.
The police surgeon said DNA testing of 35 remains has yet to be carried out. In view of the corpses’ condition, she said that seven to eight samples are being taken from each body part to ensure accurate identification.
Municipal Commissioner removed
Meanwhile, Municipal Commissioner Afzal Zaidi has been removed from his post, according to a notification issued by Chief Secretary Sindh Asif Haider Shah.
Zaidi has been directed to report to the Services, General Administration, and Coordination Department.
Sources within the Sindh government said that Zaidi’s performance was not satisfactory in his handling of the Gul Plaza inferno. He had recently faced criticism over the three-year-old Ibrahim’s death after falling into a drain on November 30.
Samira Hussain, a grade-19 ex-PCS officer, has given additional charge of the municipal commissioner.
Probe rules out short circuit
Separately, investigators probing the deadly Gul Plaza fire say the blaze originated inside a shop and was not caused by a short circuit, according to preliminary findings of the inquiry.
Investigative sources said the fire broke out at a shop selling artificial flowers, where children present were reportedly playing at the time of the incident.
“Investigators believe the children were possibly playing with matches or a lighter inside the shop,” sources said, adding that the fire first caught the stored items before spreading to the electrical wiring.
According to the investigation, the fire was not triggered by an electrical fault. As flames spread, people inside the building rushed towards exit points, but panic ensued when several doors were found closed.
The sources further said most shops in the building were open at the time, while a grill installed along the rooftop exit route also hindered evacuation efforts.
The fire severely damaged the building’s CCTV system, rendering it completely non-functional. Investigators have recorded statements from eyewitnesses and affected individuals as part of the ongoing probe.
Families have criticised the slow pace of the recovery operation, with more than 50 giving DNA samples in the hope of finding their missing relatives.
The provincial government has announced that it will give Rs10 million rupees to each family of the deceased. All 1,200 shopkeepers will also be compensated.
“Rs12.5m per month in maintenance fee”
The City Trader Union’s Sharjeel Goplani has revealed that the Gul Plaza market association collected Rs12.5 million per month in maintenance fee.
The trader leader said that the fee was set at Rs245 per square foot, but despite collecting such a hefty sum, the association failed to ensure proper safety and arrangements at the plaza.
Goplani added that the association must now answer for lapses in management that came to light following the recent fire.
The market association should answer for not making firefighting arrangements, he added.
