The death toll in the devastating fire in Gul Plaza has risen to 60 after thediscovery more more bodies from a crockery shop, with 86 remain missing, authorities said on Thursday.
Authorities said no timeline has yet been set for the completion of debris removal or the final casualty count, as operations and investigations remain ongoing.
An investigation team has been activated to probe the incident from all angles as rescue and debris-removal operations continue at the gutted building.
Investigators revealed that most of the building’s doors were closed at the time of the incident, with only two exits open, through which people attempted to escape.
According to sources, some trapped individuals also tried to break down a door during the fire in an effort to flee the building.
Meanwhile, search and rescue teams were using heavy machinery to clear debris from the damaged structure.
Officials said heavy machinery is being used to break concrete beams and roof slabs.
During the search operation, remains of multiple bodies were recovered and transported to Civil Hospital Karachi for identification.
The remains have been sent for DNA cross-matching due to their severely deteriorated condition.
Chairman of Gul Plaza shopkeepers association, Tanveer Pasta, said that more bodies are still believed to be trapped inside the building.
Speaking to Aaj News, he said rescue teams remain engaged in retrieving bodies, but many of the victims are being found in extremely poor condition.
Meanwhile, authorities have reconstructed the timeline of the deadly fire at Gul Plaza with the help of CCTV footage.
According to CCTV evidence, the fire first broke out at the rear side of the plaza at 10.07pm, while ambulances began arriving at the scene by 10.12pm.
The sources said flames became visible on the M.A. Jinnah Road-facing side of the building at 10.18pm.
Officials said it took 11 minutes for the fire to spread from the rear to the front of the building.
Meanwhile, several videos recorded during the fire have surfaced on social media, showing people trapped inside the plaza desperately searching for escape routes as smoke and flames spread.
Authorities said remains of 20 to 25 victims were recovered from a single shop inside the plaza, bringing the overall death toll to 60.
Deputy Inspector General (DIG) South Asad Raza said that bodies were recovered from the mezzanine floor, where people had reportedly locked themselves inside a crockery shop in an attempt to save their lives.
“The last mobile phone locations of these individuals were also traced to the same spot,” the DIG said.
He added that the rescue operation on the third floor was temporarily suspended after information emerged about people being trapped on the mezzanine floor.
Debris removal has been halted temporarily, with priority now given to recovering bodies.
Officials said the death toll may rise further as operations continue.
