A devastating fire has ripped through a major shopping centre in Karachi, Pakistan, leaving a trail of death and destruction. The blaze, which erupted on Saturday night, has claimed at least six lives and left more than twenty people injured, with many more feared missing.
Firefighters Battle Blaze Through the Night
The tragedy began just after 10 pm on Saturday, January 17, at the Gul Plaza shopping centre located on the busy MA Jinnah Road. Chief Fire Officer at the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC), Hamayun Khan, confirmed that firefighters were still struggling to bring the inferno under control hours after it started. The mall, housing approximately 1,200 shops selling everything from clothes and electronics to cosmetics and crockery, provided ample fuel for the rapidly spreading flames.
A spokesperson for the KMC provided a grim update on Sunday, stating, "So far six dead bodies have been recovered from the site, including one firefighter." The official added that emergency teams were working tirelessly to restore normalcy. South Deputy Commissioner Javed Nabi Khoso told Geo News that the number of missing persons could be as high as 16, deepening the anguish for many families.
Cause Under Investigation as Nation Mourns
Initial reports from Garden subdivision police officer Mohsin Raza point to a short circuit in one of the shops as the possible cause of the fire. However, a formal investigation is underway to determine the exact origin. The fire reportedly spread with terrifying speed after igniting in an area where shopkeepers had stored large quantities of imported garments, clothing, and plastic household goods.
Television footage from the scene showed firefighters in full protective gear battling the intense flames as thick, black smoke billowed into the night sky. The human cost of the disaster became painfully clear as two local residents revealed they had lost contact with six family members who were at the mall—three women, two men, and a 14-year-old girl.
A Recurring Tragedy Highlights Safety Failures
This incident has once again cast a harsh spotlight on the chronic lack of fire prevention and firefighting systems in many structures across Karachi and Pakistan at large. Sadly, this is not an isolated event. In a chilling reminder of the city's vulnerability to such disasters, a similar fire tore through another Karachi shopping centre in November 2023, killing 10 people and injuring 22.
In response to the latest tragedy, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed authorities to take "all necessary measures" to protect lives and property, and to provide assistance to the affected traders and those injured. The city of Karachi, the capital of Sindh province, continues to grapple with the aftermath of this preventable catastrophe.
