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Published : 18 Jan 2026, 02:12 PM
At least six people have been killed in a massive fire that erupted at the Gul Plaza shopping mall in Pakistan’s Karachi, Dawn reports.
The Pakistani newspaper said the operation to put out the blaze is still underway hours after it sparked.
On Sunday morning, South Deputy Inspector General Syed Asad Raza told Dawn the death toll from the fire had risen from the initial three to five. Later, the Edhi Foundation, whose rescue personnel are conducting an operation at the site, said it had gone up to six.
Rescue 1122 spokesman Hassaanul Haseeb Khan said in the morning that around 20 people had been injured in the incident, Dawn reports.
The mall houses about 1,200 shops, he said.
“There are goods such as crockery, clothes, electrical appliances, cosmetics and perfumes in various shops, due to which the fire intensified.”
Twenty fire tenders from different departments and institutions are at work trying to tame the blaze, Khan said.
“But the building appears very old, and there is a danger that its structure may fall anytime because of the impact of the fire. Thus, the rescue operation is being carried out with extreme caution,” he said.
Khan had earlier told the publication that the fire began at shops on the ground floor of the building.
In a statement on Saturday night, police had said the fire appeared to have been sparked by a short circuit at a shop before spreading to the rest of the complex. Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar has said the cause of the fire should be ascertained through a thorough investigation.
He also instructed that traffic in the area should be diverted so that fire brigade officials could reach the scene easily and safe passage can be arranged on alternate routes.
The intensity of the fire had caused a section of the building to collapse, the Edhi Foundation had said in the morning.
Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif have expressed their condolences over the incident.
PM Shehbaz directed that all possible measures be taken to ensure the safety of people’s lives and property, APP reported.
He also instructed that all possible assistance be provided to the affected traders and other individuals, as well as all necessary facilities for the injured.
