The death toll in a fire that broke out at Karachi’s Gul Plaza on Saturday night has climbed to 14, with rescuers finally dousing the flames after around 33 hours.
The blaze has collapsed several parts of the building and smoke is still wafting from the rubble, with criticism shifting from an alleged initial delay in firefighting efforts to the authorities’ alleged inability to regulate safety mechanisms after previous major fires in the Sindh capital.
On Monday morning, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) South Asad Raza confirmed 14 deaths, including five individuals whose bodies are unrecognizable.
Shortly after the fire broke out on Saturday, reportedly on the ground flood, it rapidly spread upwards, engulfing at least three stories at its peak. According to a Rescue 1122 spokesperson, the fire had already spread by the time they reached the site. The chief fire officer, meanwhile, said they had used foam to extinguish the fire. He said that while the blaze engulfing the building was tackled relatively quickly, the fire continued to wreak havoc over the goods stored inside, hampering efforts to put it out.
The officials said initial ingress into the building was made difficult because it had 14-16 entry and exit points, with narrow pathways. The smoke quickly filled all available spaces, making it difficult to navigate for rescuers and firefighters. There was also a shortage of water for putting out the flames, as a container was stuck en route due to ongoing constructions work in the area.
All Pakistan Anjuman-e-Tajiran Sindh President Jawaid Qureshi, speaking with Geo News, blamed the tragedy on government incompetence. Lamenting that authorities were blaming traders who had lost everything, he noted that it took over 30 hours for the flames to be doused. However, he acknowledged that building had expanded to the basement and other extensions, despite the original plan allowing construction only on the ground and first floors.
Amid mounting criticism over government apathy, Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab reached the site late Sunday night, nearly 24 hours after the fire broke out. Speaking with media, he said nearly 65 people remained missing. However, he maintained, police had acquired the cellphone numbers of the missing people, and was in the process of tracing them to ensure their safety.
On Monday morning, Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori visited the site and alleged over 70 people were still missing. He described the incident as a “major tragedy.”