Five killed as part of Gul Plaza collapses after hours-long blaze; rescue efforts underway

KARACHI: At least five people were killed after a massive fire broke out at the Gul Plaza shopping mall on Karachi’s MA Jinnah Road late on Saturday night, officials said.

The blaze continued for nearly nine hours, during which a portion of the building collapsed on Sunday morning due to intense heat, according to rescue officials.

The chief fire officer said that around 60% of the blaze at Gul Plaza has been brought under control, but firefighters are still unable to enter the building due to extreme heat.

He added that the intense temperature inside the structure is preventing internal access, hampering rescue and search efforts.

The officer further said that the plaza is sealed from all sides and lacks any proper ventilation system, complicating firefighting operations.

Speaking to Geo News, Rescue 1122 Chief Operating Officer Dr Abid Jalal ud din said that 20 fire tenders and four snorkels are taking part in firefighting operations from three sides of Gul Plaza.

Noting that all available technical equipment is being used to extinguish the fire as quickly as possible, the rescue official added that materials stored inside the plaza are making it difficult for rescue teams to control the blaze.

The firefighting operation was temporarily paused in the early hours of Sunday before being resumed 15 minutes later.

Fire brigade officials feared that several people were still trapped inside the mall.

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