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Tragedy Strikes Karachi Shopping Plaza: Death Toll Rises to 23 After Devastating Blaze
Karachi, Pakistan – The grim aftermath of a raging fire that engulfed a multi-story shopping plaza in Karachi continues to unfold, with authorities confirming a death toll of 23 as of Monday. Rescuers, sifting through the badly damaged structure, recovered additional bodies, while dozens more remain unaccounted for.
Firefighters battled the inferno for nearly 24 hours before finally extinguishing the blaze late Sunday, allowing specialized rescue teams to enter the compromised building. City Police Chief Asad Raza indicated that the death toll is expected to climb, with efforts currently focused on locating 46 missing individuals.
Only six of the recovered bodies have been identified thus far, according to Raza. Police surgeon Dr.
Summaiya Syed stated that the remaining victims will require DNA testing due to the severe nature of their injuries, which have rendered them unrecognizable. Doctors are actively collecting DNA samples from the relatives of the missing to aid in this process.
Local media reports, however, suggest an even higher fatality count, citing at least 26 deaths.
Sindh provincial Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah addressed a news conference in Karachi, confirming that rescue operations are ongoing to locate both survivors and the deceased. He revealed that a firefighter was among those who perished in the blaze and announced that the government would provide 10 million rupees ($36,000) in compensation to the families of each victim.
As darkness fell, rescuers faced continued challenges in accessing certain sections of the severely compromised building, where individuals who lost contact with their families the previous day are believed to be trapped. City Mayor Murtaza Wahab assured the public that the rescue operation would persist until every missing person is accounted for.
Dr. Abid Jalal Sheikh, Karachi’s chief rescue officer, explained that the fire rapidly spread through shops stocked with highly flammable cosmetics, garments, and plastic goods.
Outside the charred plaza on Monday, distraught relatives of the missing held a vigil, desperately awaiting news. Qaiser Ali recounted how his wife, daughter-in-law, and sister had gone shopping for an upcoming wedding on Saturday and were inside the building when the fire erupted.
He managed to speak to all three by mobile phone on Sunday before contact was lost. “I don’t know what has happened to them or whether they are alive,” Ali told The Associated Press, his voice filled with anguish.
“We are praying that all those missing come out safely.”
Saifur Rehman, who was inside the building when the fire broke out, managed to escape but expressed grave concerns for his brother, Mohammad Abrar, who owns a shop in the plaza and was left behind.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, police confirmed.
Karachi, the capital of Sindh province, has a somber history of deadly fires, frequently attributed to inadequate safety standards and unauthorized construction. Just last November, a fire at another shopping mall in the city claimed the lives of 10 people and injured 22. A particularly devastating incident in 2012 saw 260 people perish in a massive garment factory fire in Karachi.