Rescue teams have cleared the first floor of Gul Plaza as operations continue to locate people trapped after a devastating fire broke out in the building on Saturday night, authorities said on Tuesday.

Cranes were used to remove vehicles from the rooftop, and DNA samples have been collected from unidentifiable bodies.

Deputy Commissioner Javed Khawso confirmed that 20 bodies have been recovered so far, with 18 identified.

“The last known location of 41 missing individuals was traced to Gul Plaza,” he said, noting that roughly 40 per cent of the building has collapsed and the remaining structure has become extremely unstable.

The fire tragedy, now entering its fourth day, has left families of the missing in profound distress.

So far, 26 deaths have been confirmed, while 83 people are still unaccounted for.

Families await updates for brothers, fathers, sons, sisters, mothers, or employees who were at the plaza at the time of the incident.

Police Surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed told the media that DNA samples from 14 bodies have been collected for identification.

Additionally, 48 DNA samples have been obtained from families of the missing people.

One body has already been identified using a national identity card.

Remarkably, rescue teams found that copies of the Holy Quran in the first-floor mosque survived the fire impact, along with carpets and other belongings.

Video footage from the scene shows the holy book safely preserved in its racks.

Meanwhile, 32 vehicles, including cars, motorcycles, rickshaws, and loading Suzukis, were safely lowered from the roof and returned to their owners.

Rescue teams continue their painstaking work on the upper floors, navigating the unstable structure to locate survivors.

Earlier, the rescue operation slowed down considerably amid challenges and obstacles.

According to authorities, 83 people were still missing in the debris, raising serious concerns among authorities and affected families.

The death toll in the deadly blaze has so far claimed 26 lives.

According to sources, rescue work at the front portion of the burnt-out building has been completely suspended, while only a limited number of rescue workers were operating at the rear, working with extremely scarce resources.

Rescue officials stated that the required manpower to clear the massive debris and reach those trapped underneath is not available, which is preventing the operation from progressing effectively.

The sources stated that heavy machinery and rescue vehicles have remained idle for the past four hours, worsening the already critical situation.

Eyewitnesses and families of the victims have expressed deep concern over the delays.

They urged the authorities to immediately deploy more manpower and necessary machinery to speed up the rescue efforts.

Meanwhile, the administration said the situation is being closely monitored, and steps are being taken to accelerate the rescue operation.

Authorities confirmed that the fire at Gul Plaza has been brought under control after more than 50 hours, allowing rescue teams to enter the building.

Search and rescue operations for the recovery of bodies were ongoing, they maintained.

Officials said efforts were being made to increase the pace of rescue work following the extinguishing of the fire; however, extreme caution was being exercised due to the building’s unstable condition.

According to rescue sources, 26 bodies have so far been recovered from the building, of which 13 have been identified.

Most of the bodies are severely burned and unrecognisable, doctors said, adding that identification will only be possible through DNA testing.

For security and operational reasons, authorities have closed the road behind Gul Plaza to traffic.

During the rescue operation, 17 vehicles, 12 motorcycles, and one rickshaw were also removed from the building’s rooftop using a crane.

Rescue officials have warned that the damaged building could collapse at any time, posing serious risks to rescue workers.

Throughout the night, family members of the missing remained outside the building, desperately waiting for news of their loved ones.