The fire that broke out in Gul Plaza on Karachi’s MA Jinnah Road was brought under control on Monday

 The fire that broke out in Gul Plaza on Karachi’s MA Jinnah Road was brought under control on Monday and the cooling process is underway. Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah said in a press conference that the death toll has reached 15.

Earlier, DIG South Asad Raza told the media that bodies are still being recovered during the rescue operation. “The unidentified bodies have been safely kept in the Edhi cold storage.”

The fire broke out in Gul Plaza at around 10 pm on Saturday night. According to rescue officials, a large part of the Gul Plaza building had collapsed by Sunday evening, while cracks can be seen in the remaining part and there is a risk of its collapse. 

On the other hand, the Karachi Mobile and Electronics Dealers Association announced a three-day mourning and called for business to remain closed.

Association President Muhammad Minhaj Gulfam said in a statement that mobile shops and markets across Karachi will remain closed.

 Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) South Asad Raza told the media that various people were contacted regarding the missing persons in the affected plaza, while the mobile numbers of the missing persons were also obtained from the families.

He further said that after the police investigation, the location of 26 of the missing persons was found near Gul Plaza, while efforts are being made to trace the others.   

According to the city’s Chief Rescue Officer Dr. Abid Jalal Sheikh, the fire broke out late on Saturday night in Gul Plaza on MA Jinnah Road and spread rapidly.

Most of the approximately 1,200 shops in the plaza were for cosmetics, clothing and plastic goods.

He said that about 75 percent of the fire has been extinguished, but the crews need another four to six hours to completely control it.

Five bodies were recovered from the four-storey building and its basement. Rescue officials said that a firefighter died while trying to extinguish the fire on the upper floors. 

The cause of the fire was not immediately known. On Sunday evening, the Chief Minister visited the fire-hit Gul Plaza, located in a densely populated area of ​​the city. 

Speaking to the media present at the scene, he said that after receiving the information about the fire after 10 pm last night, the municipal authorities responded immediately and informed me as well. 

He further said that the first fire tender reached here at 10:27 pm and the fire extinguishing operation was started immediately. 

According to Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, about 26 fire tenders, four snorkels and 10 bowsers participated in extinguishing the fire. 

‘Apart from KMC, Pakistan Navy also provided one of its snorkels while three fire extinguishers came from the Civil Aviation Authority.’