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Death toll rises to 67 in Karachi mall blaze
Pakistani authorities confirmed on Friday that 67 people have died after a devastating fire swept through Gul Plaza, a multi-storey shopping complex in Karachi. Another 77 individuals remain unaccounted for, according to reports from families.
Rescue efforts hampered by destruction
The fire, which raged for over 24 hours before being extinguished, has left the 6,500-square-metre (70,000 sq ft) building in ruins. Rescue teams are carefully sifting through the debris, but the extent of the damage has slowed progress.
A police deputy commissioner told the BBC that authorities had recovered 67 skulls, though some bodies were found only partially intact. So far, 15 victims have been identified, with efforts to confirm the identities of others ongoing.
Wedding season crowds worsened disaster
Gul Plaza, home to around 1,200 shops across multiple floors, was bustling with shoppers ahead of Karachi's peak wedding season. Witnesses described chaotic scenes as the fire spread rapidly, trapping hundreds inside.
"It took only five to seven minutes for everything to burn before our eyes," said shop owner Rehan Faisal, recalling the moment flames engulfed the building. "People were shouting that there was a fire downstairs, but by the time I understood, it was too late."
Rehan Faisal, shop owner
Locked exits blamed for high casualties
Survivors and witnesses told the BBC that most of the mall's exits were locked as the facility neared closing time. A senior police official, Syed Asad Raza, confirmed to Reuters that only three of the building's 16 exits were unlocked at the time of the fire.
The lack of accessible escape routes, combined with overcrowding and tightly packed stalls, is believed to have contributed to the high death toll. Investigators have yet to determine the fire's cause.
Next steps in investigation
Authorities are continuing to search the site for additional victims while working to identify those already recovered. Officials have not yet released a timeline for completing the investigation into the fire's origin.
