I can recall watching in sheer, open-mouthed amazement at the devastation that the Gul Plaza fire has wrought so far. It was 5pm yesterday that I noticed from the nearby Victoria Road smoke was still billowing from the remains of the Gul Plaza building on MA Jinnah Road.
The multi-story commercial building, which used to house over 1,200 shops, has been largely reduced to rubble. The tragic incident has resulted in at least 21 to 26 confirmed deaths, with dozens more missing and feared dead. Those killed included a firefighter while several other firefighters received injuries. Rescue operations are still ongoing. A firefighter is someone whose job is to extinguish fire and to save people and property from being harmed. It is a matter of common knowledge that fire-fighting is rated among the most dangerous occupations. It is also a fact that firefighters make life-or-death decisions on shared understandings of whose lives matter. They fought off the fire challenge at the Gul Plaza in a highly courageous manner. Hats off to them for waging such a valiant struggle with limited resources at their disposal. (Karachi)
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026