Gul Plaza blaze: multiple bodies recovered from single shop, death toll likely to climb

The death toll from the Gul Plaza inferno is feared to rise further after rescue teams recovered multiple bodies from a single shop during search operations on Wednesday, Aaj News reported.

According to DIG South Asad Raza, as many as 20 to 30 bodies were found in a crockery shop located on the mezzanine floor. Rescue officials also confirmed the recovery of human remains from the shop.

Earlier reports by Edhi officials had put the death toll from the Gul Plaza blaze at 30, which could increase after recovery of the human remains from a single shop.

Officials said the toll could increase further as search teams were facing severe challenges accessing the building’s unstable upper floors.

Also read: Foreign missions express condolences over Gul Plaza fire in Karachi

The fire started late on Saturday at the sprawling, multi-storey Gul Plaza shopping centre in the city’s business district and burned for more than 24 hours, hampering rescue efforts in the densely packed area.

After more than 24 hours of firefighting, crews moved to cooling and debris-clearing on Sunday, although concerns grew that more victims could still be trapped inside.

By Sunday evening, large sections of the building had collapsed, leaving twisted metal and debris strewn across the street, along with fallen air-conditioning units and shop signboards. Rescue workers warned that the remaining structure was unstable and could collapse further.