Rescue workers and heavy machinery continue to clear debris from Gul Plaza on MA Jinnah Road following a devastating fire, as authorities fear the death toll could rise further. Photo: PPI
KARACHI:
In a tragic turn of events, at least 30 bodies were found in a gutted store on Wednesday as rescuers searched the rubble of Karachi’s Gul Plaza, bringing the death toll to 61.
Karachi South Deputy Inspector General Asad Raza said the remains of 30 humans were found in a crockery shop located on the square’s mezzanine floor.
He noted that debris removal had been suspended and priority was being given to the recovery of bodies.
After the fire started, people locked themselves inside the store to try to save their lives. Their last cell phone locations were also traced to the same location.
Deputy Commissioner South Javed Nabi Khoso also confirmed that 20 to 25 bodies were found in a crockery shop at the mezzanine, adding that the remains were in a seriously deteriorated condition and were recovered during the search operation.
Rescue officials said several human body parts were recovered from a store on the ground floor of the square, and were being transferred to a hospital.
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah expressed grief over the rising death toll and ordered that the newly found bodies be immediately shifted to hospital.
He ordered that the removal of debris be stopped until all the bodies are recovered and all facilities are provided to the bereaved families for identification and transfer of the bodies.
“Human life has no substitute, but the government will not leave the affected families alone,” the chief minister said.
Police surgeon Dr Samia Syed said the examination of other remains found in the rubble was ongoing and the death toll could rise further.
Earlier, the police surgeon told Express News that 28 bodies were received, of which six were initially intact and identifiable. One victim, identified as Tanveer, was confirmed by his CNIC, while DNA samples of the remaining bodies were sent to the Sindh Forensic DNA and Serology Laboratory.
Dr Samia said three more bodies were identified overnight and handed over to the heirs, while three to four more DNA reports were expected within hours. She noted that the intense fire had severely damaged the DNA, making identification difficult.
The police surgeon claimed that the Sindh forensic DNA laboratory was working round the clock and observed that most of the remains were fragmentary, requiring more time for DNA extraction.
Dr Samia said only six to seven bodies were intact. In total, DNA samples were collected from 51 relatives, with priority given to parents and children. If parents or children were not available, samples were taken from siblings.
The fire that broke out at the MA Jinnah Metropolitan Mall on Saturday evening continued unabated for 36 hours. According to rescuers, nearly 60 percent of the shopping plaza has collapsed, while the remaining structure remains too fragile to navigate safely.
The mall was a ground and three-story building housing 1,200 stores spread over 8,000 square meters.
The Gul Plaza building was constructed in the 1980s, while a revised plan was approved in 1998. Later, under the Ordinance Amending the Regularization Ordinance 2001, the building was formally regularized in 2003 in accordance with the rules and regulations, and the owner was granted a completion certificate on April 14, 2003.
