Hopes fade in fourth day of search for dozens missing in Karachi shopping plaza fire

KARACHI, Pakistan (AP) — The search for dozens of people reported missing after a massive fire at a shopping plaza in Pakistan’s largest city entered a fourth day Tuesday as hopes of finding survivors faded, officials said.

Rescuers reached some of the most badly damaged sections in the multistory Gul Plaza in Karachi, the capital of southern Sindh province, but those areas either have collapsed or been severely weakened since the blaze Saturday. The reasons remain unclear, officials said.

Police and hospital officials said rescuers have so far recovered the remains of at least 23 people, many burned beyond recognition. In several cases, only body parts were found and DNA testing is underway to identify the victims, according to police surgeon Dr. Summaiya Syed.

The sprawling shopping plaza houses about 1,200 shops, most selling imported clothing, cosmetics and plastic household goods. Dozens of the missing were shop owners and customers.

More than 65 people were reported missing and mobile phone data showed at least 31 were inside the plaza on the night of the fire, senior police official Asad Raza said. Authorities believe others reported missing may not have been carrying cellphones, Raza said.

Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab said that some sections of the building had already been searched and heavy machinery was being used to clear rubble from a portion that collapsed Sunday.

Wahab met with families of the missing, many visibly shaken, and assured them that authorities were making every effort to locate those still unaccounted for.

“We will continue this rescue operation until all missing persons are found,” he told reporters.

On Monday, Sindh provincial Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah said that the government would provide 10 million rupees ($36,000) in compensation to the family of each person killed.

Rescuers were working around the clock and there was hope some trapped victims might still be found alive, he said.

Karachi has a long history of deadly fires, often blamed on poor safety standards, lax enforcement and illegal construction. In November 2023, a shopping mall fire killed 10 people and injured 22 others. One of the deadliest industrial disasters in Pakistan’s history occurred in 2012, when a fire at a Karachi garment factory killed at least 260 people.