KARACHI, Jan 19:
The death toll from a major fire at a shopping mall in Pakistan’s Karachi city rose to 26 today, while dozens remain missing, officials said.
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Authorities said the toll could increase further following the blaze, which broke out late Saturday night at Gul Plaza, a wholesale and retail market housing shops in the basement, mezzanine and three additional floors. The fire was brought under control by Sunday night.
Rescue 1122 spokesperson Hassaan Ul Haseeb Khan, in a statement, said the death toll from the incident has risen to 26 as more bodies were recovered from the now-gutted shopping plaza, while dozens remain missing.
According to Karachi Commissioner Hassan Naqvi, the death toll could surge to over 50.
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has announced PKR 10 million in compensation for each deceased person’s family.
Addressing a press conference earlier in the day, Shah said, “There has been a considerable loss of lives in this incident. I cannot give a final number as of yet. We have recovered 15 bodies… As per the latest figures as of 1 pm, around 65 people who were reported to have come to Gul Plaza are missing. So, in total, around 80 people [have died] in this.”
“There can be no price tag on a life. Their grief cannot be compensated in any way, but we are announcing Rs 10 million from the government for each person who lost their life,” he said.
The compensation will start reaching the affected families from Tuesday, Shah said.
He said initial estimates showed that traders who had shops in the building had lost around PKR 3 billion worth of merchandise.
Shah said 40 per cent of the mall’s building has collapsed, adding that the rest of it was also in a poor state.
“We might need to demolish the entire building,” the chief minister said.
Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab told reporters that around 55 to 60 people, who were believed to be in the building when the fire broke out, were still missing.
“The rescue teams are doing their best, using thermal cameras and other means, to find these missing people,” he said.
Six bodies were found immediately after the fire broke out. They had died due to suffocation, while dozens of others were sent to hospitals. However, as the fire spread, rescue teams were unable to go in.
“Once the fire was doused, we didn’t wait for the cooling period and forcibly went in to rescue trapped people, and we found eight more bodies, some badly charred,” Rescue 1122 Chief Operating Officer (COO) Abid Jalal said. (PTI)
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