KARACHI: At least five people died after a massive fire broke out at Gul Plaza shopping mall on Karachi’s MA Jinnah Road late on Saturday night, officials said.
The fire continued for nearly nine hours, during which a portion of the building collapsed Sunday morning due to intense heat, according to rescue officials.
The fire chief said about 60% of the fire at Gul Plaza has been contained, but firefighters are still unable to enter the building due to extreme heat.
He added that the intense temperature inside the structure is preventing internal access, making rescue and search efforts difficult.
The officer further said that the plaza is sealed from all sides and lacks proper ventilation system, complicating firefighting operations.
talking to Geographic newsSouthern District Deputy Commissioner Javed Nabi Khoso said the fire has broken out again at the rear of the first floor of the building.
“There are fears that there are people on the first floor and on the mezzanine,” Khoso said, adding that rescue teams have not been able to reach these floors.
Noting that there is no way out in case of an emergency, the DC said an investigation is underway to determine why an emergency exit was not made in the building.
“We will verify the map and other things with relevant institutions.”
“Fire extinguishers were ordered to be secured [in building]but they were not present in the building,” the official added.
People are still trapped
Meanwhile, Dr Abid Jalaluddin Shaikh, chief operating officer of Sindh Emergency Service Rescue 1122, said 20 firefighting units and four snorkels are participating in firefighting operations from three sides of Gul Plaza.
Noting that all available technical equipment is being used to extinguish the fire as quickly as possible, the rescue official added that the materials stored inside the plaza make it difficult for rescue teams to control the fire.
Firefighters fear that several people are still trapped inside the shopping center.
“We cannot say at this time how many people are still trapped inside the building,” the official added.
Shaikh added that a portion of the back of the building has collapsed, increasing the risk for both trapped people and rescue workers.
The presence of air conditioning shops in the building is creating additional challenges for firefighters, he said.
The fire spread quickly within the old building due to certain flammable material stored there, he said, confirming that due to the intense heat, a pillar of the building collapsed, raising fears that more parts of the structure could collapse.
Recurring fire
Earlier, authorities had said that hours of firefighting efforts had prevented the fire from spreading further, but it had still reached the third floor before being contained.
Shortly after firefighters said the fire had been contained, the fire broke out again with long flames emerging from the first floor.
Video footage showed flames engulfing several stores as firefighters worked to extinguish them.
The fire chief said people trapped inside the mall were evacuated with the help of snorkels.
The firefighting operation was temporarily halted in the early hours of Sunday before resuming 15 minutes later.
A powerful explosion occurred inside the building, after which a larger fire broke out, according to the fire chief, who added that the explosion was due to a gas leak.
Sindh Rangers personnel, according to the spokesperson, are also participating in the rescue efforts along with other emergency services.
The cause of the fire has not yet been determined.
This is a developing story and is being updated with more details.
