Authorities prepare Gul Plaza fire timeline using CCTV footage
Deadly inferno broke out at backside of building at 10:07pm, shows timeline
January 22, 2026
Authorities probing the deadly inferno at Karachi's Gul Plaza have prepared a detailed timeline with the help of closed-circuit television cameras (CCTV) footage, sources said on Thursday.
The inferno that erupted on Saturday night has claimed at least 60 lives, with 88 people still unaccounted for, Deputy Commissioner South Javed Nabi Khoso confirmed.
As per the timeline, the fire broke out at 10:07pm at the backside of the building. Ambulances began arriving at the scene at around 10:12pm, sources added.
According to the CCTV footage, the flames became visible on the MA Jinnah Road side — the front side of the plaza — at 10:18pm. It took approximately 11 minutes for the fire to spread from the back of the plaza to its front, the sources said, quoting the officials.
Meanwhile, the rescue operation is underway, with the authorities recovering at least 60 bodies — 30 of them from a single shop.
The authorities have identified 15 bodies recovered from Gul Plaza.
The identified victims include Muhammad Shehroz, Misbah, Maryam, Kashif, Aamir, Faraz, Farooq, Farqan, Muhammad Ali, Tanveer, Muhammad Rizwan, Churchill Masih, Sarfraz Noor, Mohammad Saad, and Muhammad Usman.
The deputy commissioner said post-mortem examinations of 48 bodies have been completed, while 88 people still remain missing, adding that the operations are underway to retrieve bodies trapped under the debris.
He said that authorities are issuing notices to buildings lacking fire safety arrangements, adding that six such buildings have already been served notices.
