In a new tragic development in Karachi, the economic capital of Sindh province in southern Pakistan, the death toll from the massive fire that broke out in a shopping mall has risen to 60, after rescue teams managed to recover more than 30 additional bodies in the past 24 hours.
Pakistani police explained in an official statement released today that rescue and civil defense teams faced extreme difficulties during cooling and search operations inside the Gul Plaza shopping mall. The teams discovered a horrific scene where a large number of victims had gathered in a desperate attempt to escape the flames and thick smoke, but they perished from suffocation or burns. Authorities indicated that search efforts are still ongoing, especially given reports that 85 people remain missing, raising the possibility that the death toll could rise further.
Details of the disaster and rescue challenges
The fire broke out last Saturday in the crowded commercial building and burned for more than 24 hours before firefighters were able to bring it under complete control. The nature of the materials stored inside the mall, which included highly flammable textiles and plastics, contributed to the rapid spread of the fire and made it difficult to extinguish quickly.
Fire incident record and safety standards in Pakistan
This tragic incident raises a sensitive issue concerning safety standards in commercial and industrial buildings in Pakistan. Karachi, the country's financial center and home to millions of people, frequently suffers from similar incidents due to inadequate infrastructure, a lack of early warning systems, and the absence of proper emergency exits in many older buildings.
Observers believe that the recurrence of these tragedies is often due to electrical short circuits caused by haphazard wiring, coupled with lax enforcement of building codes and occupational safety regulations. This incident brings to mind previous accidents that claimed hundreds of lives in factories and shopping centers, placing increasing pressure on local and federal governments to take decisive action to prevent the recurrence of such disasters, which shake Pakistani society and raise concerns among international human rights organizations focused on worker and public safety.
Local impact and demands for accountability
The incident sparked widespread grief and anger in Pakistan, with families of the victims and missing persons demanding a transparent and immediate investigation to identify those responsible for the negligence that led to this tragic loss of life. Government action is expected in the coming days to review the licenses of commercial buildings in the area, in an attempt to quell public anger and ensure that such a tragic scenario is not repeated in other shopping centers.
