Gul Plaza inferno doused, fatalities rise to 14 as rescuers expand search for missing

KARACHI: The death toll in the Gul Plaza blaze keeps on climbing, with fatalities reaching 14 after the rescuers managed to douse the inferno after around 33 hours of arduous efforts.

With parts of the building left collapsed and uproar over alleged shortcomings in the authorities' response, the cooling process is underway with rescuers making way into the building by cutting windows and demolishing walls with hammers.

With Deputy Inspector General (DIG) South Asad Raza confirming 14 deaths, rescuers have said that five of the bodies recovered from the site are beyond identification.

The fire broke out on Saturday with visuals showing flames rising from the building as firefighters laboured through the night to stop the blaze.

Hundreds of people had gathered around the building, including distraught store owners whose businesses had turned to ash.

"We've been left high and dry, reduced to zero; 20 years of hard work, all gone," shopowner Yasmeen Bano said.

Rescue 1122 spokesperson Hassanul Haseeb Khan told Reuters, "when we arrived, the fire from the ground floor had spread to the upper floors, and almost the entire building was already engulfed in flames".

Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab arrived at the incident site late Sunday night, nearly 23 hours after the fire broke out, triggering protests from those present at the scene.

Speaking to the media, he said that nearly 65 people were missing, of whom, whereas as per the police, the families of 59 individuals have contacted the authorities for their loved ones.

Furthermore, the police have said that they have acquired the cellphone numbers of missing people, of which 26 have been traced back to the incident site while further scrutiny is underway to locate others.

'Flower shop fire, water shortage'

Expanding on the firefighting efforts, the chief fire officer has said that foam was used to extinguish the fire from day one (Saturday).

Noting that 90% of the blaze has been put out, he said that the goods stored inside the shopping centre, however, are still burning.

Fire Officer Zafar Khan further noted that, "the condition of the building is bad, so we cannot stay [there] for long".

The rescue work, he added, is being carried out in places considered relatively safe to operate, where the rescuers exit immediately after inspecting it for survivors.

Meanwhile, the fire brigade officials have said that the fire brokeout at 10:14pm on Saturday at a shop selling artificial flowers and pots.

The Rescue 1122 was informed of the blaze at 10:38pm, and two fire tenders reached the incident site at 10:57pm.

With 14 to 16 entry and exit points at the shopping centre, the officials said that the firefighting operation faced difficulties due to narrow entrances and pathways.

"All entrances and exits of the building were filled with smoke," they said, adding that they faced a water shortage within two to three hours of the firefighting operation and the water bowsers were stuck near Guru Mandir due to ongoing construction work.

The firebrigade officials further lamented that the water shortage could not be resolved immediately due to the crowd and lack of traffic management.

Meanwhile, apprising of the ongoing efforts and resources at the site, they said that 12 fire tenders and six water bowsers, along with two snorkels, are present at Gul Plaza.

Traders decry govt incompetence

Speaking on Geo News' programme "Geo Pakistan" All Pakistan Anjuman-e-Tajiran Sindh chapter's President Jawaid Qureshi slammed the government for its incompetence and failure to rescue the people.

"The traders are bearing financial and human losses and they themselves are being blamed [for the incident]," Qureshi lamented.

The traders' representative remarked that the government should admit its incompetence as the rescue operation was still not completed after 34 hours.

Responding to a question regarding the usage of "maintenance fee" acquired from shop owners in the building, Qureshi said that the amount was spent on the watchman system, maintenance and diesel for the generator.

Noting that shops were also located in the basement, he admitted that only the construction of the ground floor and first floor was permitted and the structure did undergo an extension.

However, he maintained that the expansion of the shopping centre was legal. Touching upon the missing people, Qureshi said that they have reports of 60 to 80 people still unaccounted for in the aftermath of the blaze.

This is a developing story and is being updated with more details.