The death toll in Karachi, Pakistan, has climbed to 23 following a significant fire at a shopping plaza, with additional bodies recovered by rescue teams from the heavily damaged structure, police confirmed on Monday. Numerous individuals are still unaccounted for.
Firefighters successfully put out the blaze at the multi-story plaza late Sunday, almost a day after it started, enabling rescue operations to commence inside the building. With 46 individuals still missing, city police chief Asad Raza expressed concerns that the number of casualties could increase.
Raza informed The Associated Press that only six bodies have been positively identified thus far. Dr. Summaiya Syed, the police surgeon, stated that the remaining bodies are unidentifiable and will require DNA testing. Family members of the missing persons are providing DNA samples for comparison.
Local reports indicate that at least 26 individuals lost their lives in the fire.
During a news conference in Karachi, Sindh provincial Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah disclosed that rescue teams are actively searching for survivors and casualties. He mentioned that one of the deceased was a firefighter and announced that the government would offer 10 million rupees ($50,000 Cdn) in compensation to the families of each victim.
As night approached, rescue workers faced challenges accessing parts of the severely impacted building where some individuals were believed to be trapped after losing contact with their families the previous day. Mayor Murtaza Wahab affirmed that the operation would persist until all missing persons were located.
The fire rapidly spread through shops containing cosmetics, garments, and plastic items, as reported by Dr. Abid Jalal Sheikh, Karachi’s chief rescue officer.
Outside the charred plaza, relatives of the missing individuals congregated on Monday, anxiously awaiting updates.
Qaiser Ali recounted that his wife, daughter-in-law, and sister were shopping in the building during the fire. Although he spoke to all three by phone on Sunday, communication abruptly ceased. Another individual, Saifur Rehman, escaped the blaze but expressed concerns about his brother Mohammad Abrar, who owns a shop in the plaza and was left behind.
The cause of the fire remains unknown, with authorities launching an investigation.
Karachi, the capital of Sindh province, has a history of fatal fires, often attributed to inadequate safety measures and unauthorized construction. Notably, a fire at a shopping mall in the city claimed 10 lives and injured 22 individuals in November 2023. In a tragic incident in 2012, a massive fire at a garment factory in Karachi resulted in the loss of 260 lives.