Rescue workers and heavy machinery continue to clear debris at Gul Plaza on MA Jinnah Road after a devastating fire, as authorities fear the death toll could rise further. Photo: PPI
KARACHI:
In a tragic twist, at least 30 bodies were recovered from a gutted shop as rescuers searched the wreckage of Karachi’s Gul Plaza on Wednesday, bringing the death toll to 61.
Karachi Deputy Inspector General South Asad Raza said the remains of 30 people had been recovered from a service shop located on the mezzanine of the square.
He noted that garbage removal had been suspended and priority was given to retrieving bodies.
After the fire broke out, people locked themselves inside the store in an attempt to save their lives. Their last cell phone locations were also traced to the same location.
Deputy Commissioner South Javed Nabi Khoso also confirmed that 20 to 25 bodies were recovered from a service workshop on the mezzanine, adding that the remains were in a severely degraded condition and were found during the search operation.
Rescue officials said several human body parts were recovered from a shop on the ground floor of the square, which were taken to the hospital.
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah expressed grief over the rising death toll and ordered that the newly recovered bodies be shifted to the hospital immediately.
He ordered that the removal of debris should be halted until all the bodies were retrieved and that the bereaved families should be provided with all facilities for the identification and transfer of the bodies.
“Human life has no compensation, but the government will not leave the affected families alone,” the chief minister said.
According to police surgeon Dr. Samia Syed, the investigation of additional remains found from the rubble is underway, and the death toll may rise further.
Earlier, the police surgeon told Express News that 28 bodies had been received, six of which were initially intact and identifiable. One victim, identified as Tanveer, was confirmed through his CNIC while DNA samples from the remaining bodies were sent to the Sindh Forensic DNA and Serology Laboratory.
Dr. Samia said three more bodies were identified overnight and had been handed over to heirs, while three to four more DNA reports were expected within hours. She noted that the intense fire had severely damaged the DNA, making identification difficult.
The police surgeon maintained that the Sindh Forensic DNA Laboratory was working round the clock and observed that most of the remains were fragmentary, requiring more time for DNA extraction.
Dr. Samia said only six to seven bodies were intact. In total, DNA samples were collected from 51 relatives, with priority given to parents and children. If parents or children were not available, samples were taken from siblings.
The fire that broke out in the capital’s MA Jinnah Mall on Saturday evening continued unabated for 36 hours. According to rescuers, nearly 60 percent of the shopping plaza had collapsed, while the remaining structure remains too fragile to navigate safely.
The mall was a ground-plus-three-story building with 1,200 stores spread over 8,000 square meters.
The Gul Plaza building was constructed in the 1980s, while a revised plan was approved in 1998. Later, under the Regulatory Amendment Ordinance 2001, the building was formally legalized in 2003 in accordance with rules and regulations, and the owner obtained a completion certificate on 14 April 2003.
