Only two exit points were open at Karachi’s Gul Plaza at time of fire, reveals probe

In an important development in an investigation into the Gul Plaza Karachi fire incident, it has emerged that out of total 16 exit points in the building, only two were open when the tragedy struck, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Thursday.

Quoting the investigators, sources told the 24News TV channel that the people stuck inside the building tried to come out of the building through one of these points.

Meanwhile, the death toll in the incident has risen to 61 while 88 people are still missing as search and rescue operation is underway at the site.

Volunteers are removing the debris of the building by cutting it.

Sources further said that now it had been decided to send the bodies to a laboratory for a chemical examination which would help the investigators analyze the wounds on different parts of the body. 

The investigators, sources went on to say, were also trying to find out how much the market administration and rescue departments were proactive at the time of the incident.

DC South Javed Nabi media talk 

Deputy Commissioner (DC) South Javed Nabi said on Thursday that the post-mortem of 48 bodies had been completed.

Speaking to the media, he said that out of 14 bodies identified so far, eight were recognized with the help of their DNAs.

He said that the police were probing the incident from different angles and soon new findings would be made public. “It was such a big fire; we just cannot say it was a result of a short-circuit and walk away,” he said, adding that action would be taken against those responsible.

The DC went on to say that the operation was still underway to pull out bodies from underneath the rubble.

He informed that notices had been issued to the owners of the buildings which were without fire safety arrangements. “So far, notices have been issued to six buildings,” he elaborated.

He also informed that the building was in a dilapidated condition and could come crashing down at any moment. “Already 40 per cent of the structure is in ruins.”

The DC appealed to the people not to believe in rumours doing rounds on social media.

KMC’s fire brigade dept officer’s talk

On the other hand, KMC’s fire brigade department’s officer Zafar Ahmad Khan said that the debris of the building was being cut and removed with the help of a heavy machinery. “Passages are being formed in the rubble in order to get to the bodies,” he said, adding that the cooling process was also underway at the site.

Relatives slam slow operation

Relatives of those still missing have criticised the slow operation at the three-storey Gul Plaza, where rescuers are scouring the wreckage for human remains.

More than 50 families have given DNA samples, provincial health official Summaiya Syed told journalists. "We will hand over the bodies (remains) to the family, once DNA samples are matched," she said outside the Civil Hospital Karachi mortuary.

Also Read: Fire again erupts in Gul Plaza debris in Karachi

Faraz Ali, whose father and 26-year-old brother were inside the mall, told AFP he wants "the bodies to be recovered and handed over to their rightful families".

"That is all so that the families may receive something, some comfort, some peace. At least let us see them one last time, in whatever condition they are, so that we may say our final goodbye," the 28-year-old said.

Fires are common in Karachi's markets and factories, which are known for their poor infrastructure, but a blaze on such a scale is rare.

Reporters: Usama Malik and Durre Shahwar