KARACHI: The tragedy of the Gul Plaza fire worsened as rescue teams on Wednesday recovered at least 30 bodies from a mezzanine shop, raising the death toll from the city’s deadliest fire in over a decade to 60, with dozens still missing.
The discovery was made after rescue teams moved to the mezzanine following a lull in operations on the first and second floors.
DIG South Syed Asad Raza said all 30 bodies were found inside a single service shop on the mezzanine. He added that the rescue operation will move to the next phase once the bodies have been transported to the hospital.
While initial reports suggested that 20 to 25 bodies were inside the shop, DIG Raza confirmed that the total number was 30. With the discovery in the shop, the death toll from the inferno rose to 60.
After the discovery, DIG South formed a special team to shift the bodies to the Civil Hospital.
Rescue teams – including Rescue 1122, Edhi officials, Rangers and Chhipa volunteers – were withdrawn from the building while a large number of ambulances were dispatched to the operation.
Police quickly cordoned off the area and additional personnel were called in to ensure smooth operations. Authorities, meanwhile, remained unsure whether the recovered bodies were those of shopkeepers, workers or customers.
Today, operations were concentrated on the third floor; But around 14, efforts were temporarily paused and teams were redirected to search the mezzanine.
Shop No. 144, where the bodies were discovered, was identified with the help of a shopkeeper who had seen people enter the shop during the incident.
The victims reportedly sought refuge inside the store after a stampede broke out in the mall during the first moments of the fire.
Many others inside the building had sought shelter in shops, corners and under sheds as most of the mall’s exits were closed when the fire broke out.
Previously, 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 are yet to be cleared and rescue operations in these sections will begin later in the day.
