KARACHI: Firefighters battled a massive blaze in Pakistan’s largest city on Sunday after a deadly fire tore through a shopping centre in Karachi’s historic downtown, killing six people and reducing large sections of the building to rubble.
The fire broke out late Saturday night, with rescue services receiving an emergency call at around 10:38 p.m., reporting that shops on the ground floor of Gul Plaza were on fire. By the time firefighters arrived at the scene, flames had rapidly spread to the upper floors, engulfing most of the building.
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“When our teams reached the site, the fire from the ground floor had already spread to the upper levels, and almost the entire structure was ablaze,” said Rescue 1122 spokesperson Hassanul Haseeb Khan.
Police surgeon Dr. Summaiya Syed confirmed that six bodies had been shifted to Karachi’s Civil Hospital, while at least 11 injured individuals were receiving medical treatment. She said authorities were invoking mass disaster protocols in response to the incident.
Videos and images from the scene showed towering flames, thick black smoke, and firefighters working through the night to prevent the fire from spreading to nearby buildings in the densely populated commercial area. Hundreds of people gathered around the site, including distraught shop owners whose businesses were destroyed.
Officials said parts of the shopping centre had begun to collapse, raising concerns that the entire structure could give way. Firefighting and rescue operations were continuing as authorities assessed the damage and worked to bring the blaze fully under control.
