Two dumpers carrying Gul Plaza debris surprisingly go missing in Karachi

A mysterious situation has emerged following the devastating fire incident at Gul Plaza, as two out of eight dumpers carrying debris from the damaged building have gone missing, 24NewsHD TV channel reported on Tuesday.

According to the sources, a total of eight dumpers loaded with debris departed from the Gul Plaza after clearance work began by the rescue workers.

However, only six dumpers reached the designated dumping site, while the remaining two have yet to be traced. Authorities have so far been unable to determine the whereabouts of the missing vehicles.

Sources further revealed that the two missing dumpers were carrying valuable material, including electric wires and copper scrap, intensifying suspicions surrounding their disappearance.

The registration numbers of the missing dumpers have been identified as 808 and 670.

Taking notice of the incident, the Deputy Commissioner South has sought complete details of the missing dumpers and ordered a formal inquiry. Investigations have been initiated to determine whether negligence, theft, or foul play was involved.

Meanwhile, rescue and relief operations continue at Gul Plaza amid growing safety concerns on Tuesday.

According to the 24NewsHD TV channel, rescue workers have intensified debris-clearing efforts as authorities fear the remaining structure could collapse.

One portion of the building has already caved in, while the pillars of the multi-storey structure have reportedly bent due to intense heat caused by the inferno.

Over 80 people were still missing while the death toll climbed to 26 on Tuesday morning. "In total 26 bodies have been recovered," Hassan Khan, spokesman for the Rescue 1122 Sindh emergency service, told newsmen.

"The search operation will continue," he said. The top police officer in Karachi's southern district, Syed Asad Raza, told media men the force has "a list of 80 missing persons".

Rescue workers said that the blaze had been brought under control some 35 hours after it broke out, the reasons for which were still not known.

Deputy Commissioner South Javed Khoso said 18 of the 26 deceased in the Gul Plaza tragedy have been identified, while 75 people are still missing.

He further revealed that the location of 39 missing people has been traced inside the Gul Plaza.

The deputy commissioner said 40 percent of the building has collapsed, while the remaining structure is fragile.

A government committee has launched an investigation, but it was not immediately clear what had caused the fire.

The three-storey shopping mall housed at least 1,200 shops, offering a wide range of goods, and was famous for wedding shopping and home decoration items.

Over 1,000 rescue and firefighting personnel took part in the relief and rescue operation. Now they have paced up the rubble-removing work, fearing the whole building might come down any moment, as the pillars it was standing on have bent.

Reporter: Salman Saleem