Karachi, January 23, 2026: The death toll from the devastating fire at Karachi’s Gul Plaza shopping centre has risen to 71, after rescuers recovered more human remains from the rubble of the gutted building on Friday.
Police Surgeon Dr. Summaiya Syed issued an updated list confirming 71 fatalities. Of these, 16 victims have been identified so far, including nine through DNA testing. Authorities said DNA analysis has been conducted on 49 samples to establish identities.
The deadly blaze erupted late on the night of January 17 and took nearly two days to be fully extinguished, leaving the ground-plus-three-storey commercial building in ruins, with several sections collapsing. Officials cautioned that the final death toll would only be confirmed once the identification process of all recovered remains is completed.
Rescue officials expressed hope that search operations would conclude on Friday. South Deputy Commissioner Javed Nabi Khoso told reporters that the operation had entered its final stages. “The search in the wreckage will be completed today,” he said, adding that 77 people had initially been reported missing. He said recovery efforts were being carried out under the supervision of the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA).
Director General Sindh Rescue 1122, Brigadier (retd) Wajid Sibghatullah Mahar, said rescue teams still needed to access about 10 to 15 per cent of the building’s area that had remained unreachable. “There are concerns that we have not yet accessed the ground floor, where the fire originated. We hope to recover bodies from there,” he said.
Defending the response of Rescue 1122, Mahar said teams were equipped with modern technology but the fire had already escalated to a third-degree inferno by the time they reached the site. He added that 15 to 20 people were successfully rescued and evacuated during the initial stages of the blaze.
He further said that either the building lacked a functional fire safety system or it was not activated. According to preliminary findings, the fire reportedly started in a flower shop and spread rapidly through a duct system, though police are still investigating the exact cause of the rapid spread.
CM announces relief, accountability measures
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah briefed the Sindh Assembly on the tragedy on Friday, with Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab also present. He confirmed that Rs10 million compensation for each deceased victim’s family had been approved, with funds released to the Karachi commissioner for distribution.
Regarding losses suffered by traders, the chief minister said the Sindh Assembly would compensate affected businesses. He announced immediate financial assistance of Rs500,000 for each of the 1,102 shops approved by the SBCA at Gul Plaza, as well as for any additional shops with valid documentation. He said this interim support would help shopkeepers sustain themselves while longer-term rehabilitation measures, expected to take two to three months, are finalized.
Murad Ali Shah also revealed that arrangements had been made for alternative commercial spaces, with 500 shops secured in one building and 350 in another, where owners have agreed not to charge rent for one year. “My effort is to ensure makeshift shops for the affected traders for at least two years,” he said.
He further announced that the Sindh government, through the Sindh Enterprise Development Fund, would provide collateral support and bear interest payments for loans of up to Rs10 million for affected individuals.
The chief minister said Gul Plaza would likely be demolished and reconstructed, with each shop restored to its original size. He added that the provincial government aims to complete reconstruction within two years.
On accountability, Murad Ali Shah said an audit of commercial buildings would be conducted across the province, with non-compliant structures given a brief period to meet safety requirements or face sealing. He also directed the provincial law minister to draft legislation making insurance mandatory for such buildings.
FIR to be registered
The chief minister informed the assembly that the fire broke out at 10:14pm on January 17 at a ground-floor shop, with the first emergency call received by the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation from a shop owner’s son. The first fire brigade reached the site at 10:27pm, while Rescue 1122 received its first call at 10:36pm, details he said were verified through CCTV footage.
Murad Ali Shah said he had ordered the registration of a first information report (FIR) based on available information. “Whoever is responsible will be punished,” he said, adding that accountability would extend to all levels, including government institutions, if negligence was established.
He also criticized attempts to politicize the tragedy and addressed historical aspects of Gul Plaza’s ownership and approvals, stating that investigations would determine responsibility without political bias.
Rescue and investigation efforts continue as authorities work to bring closure to one of Karachi’s deadliest commercial building fires.
