Karachi: The death toll from a fire that engulfed a shopping mall in Karachi, Pakistan, last weekend has risen to 50, with many more still missing and search efforts hampered. Pakistani rescue workers found 25 more bodies yesterday from the rubble, raising concerns that the fatality count could climb further, as 84 people are still reported missing. Police have indicated that most of the missing are likely dead due to the intensity of the fire and the challenging conditions of the collapsed building, complicating search and rescue efforts.
According to Thai News Agency, a fire broke out late Saturday night local time at a three-story shopping center spanning approximately 8,000 square meters. The building housed more than 1,200 shops selling various goods, including clothing, household appliances, toys, and general merchandise, both retail and wholesale. Despite it being nighttime, hundreds of customers and business owners were inside the mall at the time of the blaze. Firefighters spent over 24 hours battling the blaze, which spread rapidly due to the large amount of flammable materials inside. Parts of the building collapsed, trapping several people under the rubble. A large number of rescue workers, equipped with heavy equipment, have been deployed to search for the missing.
The fire at this shopping mall is one of several serious fire tragedies that have occurred in Karachi. It is considered the largest fire since the factory fire in 2012 that claimed more than 260 lives.