Relatives of several missing people, including traders and shoppers (four of them women), are searching for their loved ones after they went missing during the fire at Karachi’s Gul Plaza shopping mall.
The deadly fire that broke out Saturday night at the mall killed at least six people, and authorities warned Sunday that the toll could rise as several remain trapped inside.
One woman, still in shock, said she found out around 9 a.m. that her young son was missing. The shocked mother could not confirm whether her son was a shopkeeper or had visited the square to buy something.
“I found out at 9 o’clock when my other son, who was going to church, called me and said, ‘Amma“Come quickly, my brother is missing,” he said.
“My little son… there is no information about him,” he shouted.
A large number of anxious relatives were seen outside the Civil Hospital Burn Centre, fearing that several people could still be inside the building more than 13 hours after the fire broke out on MA Jinnah Road.
A man searching for six members of his family said Geographic news that the group had visited the plaza to do wedding shopping and that they were last contacted at 10:10 pm while they were on the second floor selecting utensils.
Another woman who was looking for her husband, a merchant in the square, said that his whereabouts are unknown. She said two children who also work in her store are missing along with him.
Helpline established
Meanwhile, in the wake of the Gul Plaza fire incident, the district administration and South Zone Police have set up dedicated helplines to serve the public and provide timely information.
South Deputy Commissioner Javed Nabi said citizens can share information related to the Gul Plaza tragedy or report missing persons by contacting the DC South office.
The service numbers enabled for this purpose are 0313-5048048, 021-99206372 and 021-99205625.
On the other hand, DIG South announced that the South Zone Police have also established helplines to help and guide citizens affected by the incident. The public can obtain information or seek help by calling 021-99205670, 021-99201196 and 021-99205691.
Authorities urged citizens to use these helplines for accurate information and cooperation during relief and response efforts.
