The Gul Plaza tragedy entered its seventh day on Friday, with authorities confirming 67 deaths while 77 people remain missing as recovery, search and debris removal operations continued at the fire-ravaged commercial complex in Karachi.

The deadly inferno, which erupted on the night of January 17 and took nearly two days to be fully extinguished, has left the ground-plus-three-storey building in ruins, with several sections collapsed, officials said.

Authorities reported that additional human remains were recovered during ongoing operations.

A spokesperson for the health department said 45 DNA samples had been collected from bodies and dismembered remains, adding that the identities of eight victims had so far been confirmed through DNA profiling.

Deputy Commissioner South said around 80 per cent of the search operation had been completed and a similar proportion of bodies had been recovered.

He cautioned, however, that the final death toll could only be determined once the identification of all recovered remains was completed.

Senior Fire Officer Zafar Khan said no intact bodies were now being recovered from the debris.

“Only bones are being found,” he said, adding that the building’s structure had become critically weak and that the operation had now entered its final search phase.

Officials expressed hope that the search operation would be completed later today, subject to safety conditions at the site.

Scenes of grief continued to unfold at the affected area as families waited for information about their missing loved ones.

One affected citizen, Qaiser, broke down at the scene, saying three women from his family — his wife, daughter-in-law and sister-in-law — had gone to Gul Plaza for shopping and never returned.

He complained that no clear information was being provided by authorities and alleged inappropriate behaviour by hospital staff, saying families were struggling to get answers regarding the fate of their missing relatives.

Rescue officials said coordination between rescue teams, district administration and health authorities remains ongoing as identification and documentation efforts continue, while families await confirmation of the fate of those still unaccounted for.