Massive fire in Karachi shopping mall: 14 killed, more than 60 missing; People searching for their loved ones in the debris

Pakistan News In Hindi: A massive fire has caused massive devastation in Karachi’s historic Gul Plaza Shopping Center late on the night of 17 January. It is being told that this mall is spread over an area bigger than a football field and has about 1,200 shops.

According to eyewitnesses and video footage, high flames were seen rising from the building and firefighters had to work throughout the night to extinguish them. Rescue teams continued to clear debris and cool the building throughout the morning of January 19.

Casualties and missing persons

Police Chief Javed Alam Odho has confirmed that 14 people have died so far in this fire. He said that about 60 people are still missing and the rescue operation is going on, although no definite time frame can be given for its completion.

18 injured people have been discharged from the hospital after first aid, but the death toll may increase further as rescue operations proceed. Rescue workers have warned that the remaining structure of the mall is very unstable and could collapse at any time.

How did the fire start?

According to preliminary investigation, the main cause of the fire appears to be a short circuit in a circuit breaker. According to police chief Odho, the structure of the mall and the materials inside, such as carpets, blankets and items made of resin, helped the fire spread more quickly. The fire department says that there was a lack of ventilation inside the mall due to which dense black smoke filled the inside of the mall, making it extremely difficult to reach the people trapped inside and carry out rescue operations.

Public anger and administrative reaction

After the accident, there is deep anger among the local people and shopkeepers. When Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab visited the incident site, he faced strong public opposition and anti-government slogans. According to local media, people are protesting against the late arrival and slow action of the fire department. Many shopkeepers say that their lifetime earnings and 20 years of hard work were reduced to ashes overnight.

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This fire in Gul Plaza is considered to be one of the worst incidents in the history of Karachi after the biggest industrial fire (2012). In 2012, more than 260 people were killed in a fire at an industrial site which was later declared a case of arson by a court.