The massive fire which swept through the Gul Plaza in Karachi was almost doused on Monday morning with the death toll shooting to 26 and 71 people were still missing, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.
The huge blaze which erupted in the plaza on Saturday night took about 40 hours to extinguish with fire-fighters saying they have almost finished their job, though they continued their efforts to remove the rubble as they heard people’s cries from inside and also fearing the fragile multi-storey plaza structure might collapse.
Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Police, while giving a briefing to the media, said 26 bodies have been recovered from Gul Plaza so far.
He said six dead bodies have been identified, while the identification of the rest will be possible after DNA tests. He said the last location of 32 missing persons was Gul Plaza.
DIG South said the data of the remaining missing persons is being obtained for analysis.
He said the situation around Rampa Plaza and Gul Plaza is completely under control and all entry points of Rampa Plaza have been secured.
He said only rescue officials are being allowed to enter the plaza, while no unauthorised person is allowed to enter the building.
Earlier, the rescue workers retrieved eight more bodies from the rubble on Monday morning which raised the death toll to 18 including a fire-fighter, a woman and a child. As many as 18 seriously injured people were shifted to hospitals for treatment.
The authorities also released a list of 71 people including three women who were missing ever since the fire broke out in the plaza.
The people living in the flats located on upper storeys of the plaza have started to move out fearing the building could collapse any time.
The Pakistan Army units also took part in the operation to put out the fire, with authorities fearing that several people may still be trapped inside the damaged building.
Army units, along with the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO), have been deployed to support the civil authorities, firefighters and rescue teams in clearing debris and accessing areas made unreachable due to structural damage.
Heavy machinery and specialised teams have been brought in, while an Army engineering unit has been placed on standby to assess the building’s stability and ensure safe entry for rescuers.
As many as 22 fire tenders and 15 water bowsers of Pakistan Navy and Rescue 1122 took part in the operation.
DIG South Asad Raza confirmed the death toll, saying one woman was among the 18 deceased.
He further said bodies were being recovered as the operation continued. He said 15 bodies were retrieved, some unrecognisable, while three burnt bodies were taken out in pieces.
Talking to City21 TV channel, a sister organization of 23NewsHD TV channel, Karachi Commissioner Syed Hassan Naqvi also confirmed the death toll. He said they have received information that there were dozens of people present in the building when the fire broke out.
“The building has become totally fragile and the authorities will bring it down, he said.
Karachi City police chief Azad Khan also visited the Gul Plaza and told journalists that the police have found clues which linked the incident to terrorism.
The fire broke out late Saturday at Gul Plaza and quickly spread to shops selling cosmetics, clothing, and plastic goods, according to Abid Jalal Sheikh, the megacity’s chief firefighter.
The fire was almost extinguished, and the search for dozens of missing people was ongoing, said Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah.
The five more bodies were found in the four-storey building and its basement, where about 1,200 shops were located. Firefighters reported that a firefighter had died while trying to extinguish the flames on the upper floors. The dead bodies have been shifted to the Trauma Centre at Civil Hospital.
Television footage showed dozens of firefighters in protective gear, as thick smoke rose from the damaged building. Parts of the structure collapsed during the blaze.
The cause of the fire was not yet known and an investigation was still under way.
After gaining limited access to the fire-hit shopping mall, fire and rescue crews have now begun preparing to enter deeper sections of the building by cutting windows with cutters and breaking down walls with hammers to widen the search for survivors.
A total of 22 fire brigade vehicles, 10 water bowsers, four snorkels and 33 ambulances have been deployed at the site.
Rescue officials said efforts were continuing to remove debris and fully extinguish the fire. They added that teams had not yet been able to reach the first floor, despite gaining limited access to the structure.
Police have obtained the mobile numbers of families of the missing persons, and the locations of more than 20 individuals have been traced inside the building, officials said.
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah visited the shopping mall on Sunday evening to review rescue and firefighting operations. Speaking about the incident, he said, “Around 58 to 60 people are still missing,” adding that efforts were underway to rescue them.
The chief minister also assured that the government would compensate affected people transparently.
Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said rescue operations began immediately after the fire erupted at the shopping mall.
Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab also visited the site and called for speeding up the relief operations. He acknowledged the challenges posed by the large crowd and ongoing difficulties in the rescue process. He confirmed that 65 people are still missing.
The Gul Plaza was constructed in 1995, originally comprised a basement, ground floor, and first floor. However, between 1995 and 2003, three additional floors were added to the building. The original design had space for 500 shops, but the number of shops grew significantly, exceeding 1,200. This overcrowding further compounded the dangers during the fire.
Brother of martyred firefighter demands urgent aid
Adnan, brother of Furqan, the firefighter who embraced martyrdom during a rescue operation at Gul Plaza in Karachi, demanded that the authorities provide immediate financial assistance to the family of the martyred firefighter.
Talking to the media, Adnan said that Furqan was married one and a half years ago and was a father of six months old child. He said that Adnan’s feet slipped while performing his official duty and he embraced martyrdom.
Man misses son’s face
A man told the TV channel that his 18-year-old son, Muhammad Shez, has been missing for three days now. “I have not seen my son’s face in three days. I have been visiting Jinnah Hospital and Burns Centre again and again but there is no success yet,” he added.
Shopkeepers demand
The worried shopkeepers of Gul Plaza held the government and the shopping centre union responsible for the tragedy. They said they did not Civil Defence Department since the tragedy has struck.
They blamed the trade centre unions for ignoring safety arrangements.
President, PM offer full assistance
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif reached out to Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, offering all available assistance. The president has instructed that all resources be mobilized for relief efforts and praised the bravery of firefighter Farhan Shaukat, who lost his life during the operation.
The prime minister also expressed condolences and reiterated that the federal government will extend full support.
Reporters Usama Malik, Salman Saleem, Rizwan Ahmad, Mohammad Khurshid Rehmani and Kavish Memon