By Staff Reporter
KARACHI: The death toll from a devastating fire that tore through a bustling shopping complex in Karachi climbed to 73 on Sunday, as rescue teams pulled two more bodies from the charred rubble, deepening the grief in a city still reeling from one of its worst disasters in years.
The blaze, which erupted on the night of Jan. 17 at Gul Plaza, a sprawling mall known for its 1,200 family-owned shops selling wedding clothes, toys, crockery and other household goods, raged for nearly two days before firefighters could bring it under control. It left more than 1,100 stores in ruins and has now claimed at least 73 lives, with recovery efforts stretching into their ninth day.
Dr. Summaiya Syed, the police surgeon overseeing the grim task of identification, confirmed the updated toll to reporters, noting that 23 of the deceased had been identified so far: 16 through DNA matching, six by facial recognition and one via a national identity card. Rescue 1122 officials reported that 82 people had been listed as missing at the District South deputy commissioner’s office, with 10 to 11 still unaccounted for.
Javed Nabi Khoso, the district’s deputy commissioner, told reporters that the search and recovery operation was expected to wrap up by the end of the day, though clearing the debris would continue. He confirmed that a police case had been filed in connection with the fire, with investigations proceeding, but urged caution against speculation until probes were complete.
The fire, Karachi’s largest in more than a decade, has exposed raw nerves in this teeming port city, prompting calls for accountability amid suspicions of negligence or worse. A first information report, registered on Jan. 23 at Nabi Bux Police Station, cited “negligence and carelessness” as the cause and was lodged against unidentified individuals. Sindh’s home minister, Ziaul Hassan Lanjar, acknowledged concerns about possible sabotage or terrorism but said anti-terrorism provisions would be added only if evidence emerged.
The tragedy has also drawn political fire, with opposition demanding broader inquiries. Dr. Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, chairman of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan, a partner in the federal ruling coalition, wrote to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif requesting a federal inquiry commission that would include agencies like the Federal Investigation Agency, the National Accountability Bureau, the National Disaster Management Authority, Military Intelligence, Inter-Services Intelligence, the National Engineering Services Pakistan and even the State Bank of Pakistan.
In his letter, Siddiqui urged the federal government to take over the investigation, relief and rescue efforts, and to establish a “relief and rehabilitation fund” to provide financial aid to affected families and victims. Separately, Sindh’s governor, Kamran Tessori, announced plans to write to the chief justices of the Supreme Court and the Sindh High Court seeking a judicial inquiry. “Those responsible should be identified and punished without delay,” he said. Sindh’s chief minister, Syed Murad Ali Shah, addressed the provincial assembly on Friday, explaining that an initial count of 88 missing had been revised downward after one person returned safely and five duplicate names were removed, leaving 82 unaccounted for.
The human toll was starkly evident on Sunday afternoon at Eidgah Ground in Delhi Colony, where funeral prayers were held for six members of a single family who had been shopping at Gul Plaza when the fire broke out. Among the identified were Saad, Kausar, Mariam and Misbah; the service for Ashraf Ali was offered in absentia.
Copyright © 2021 Independent Pakistan | All rights reserved
