Search continues at Karachi’s Gul Plaza as death toll climbs past 60

Search and rescue operations continued at Karachi’s Gul Plaza on Thursday following a devastating fire that has so far claimed at least 61 lives, officials said.The blaze broke out at the shopping plaza on MA Jinnah Road late Saturday night and was initially brought under control after more than 24 hours on Sunday. However, firefighting efforts had to resume on Monday after flames reignited from smouldering debris.Gul Plaza, a ground-plus-three-storey commercial building with around 1,200 shops spread across 8,000 square yards, partially collapsed due to the intensity of the fire.Rescue 1122’s urban search and rescue teams continued overnight operations, combing through debris with specialised equipment, including cutters and thermal imaging cameras.In a grim development on Wednesday, at least 30 bodies were recovered from a gutted shop on the mezzanine floor. Karachi South Deputy Inspector General Syed Asad Raza told Dawn that the remains were found inside a shop named “Dubai ...

• 22 Jan 2026