Karachi mall fire claims six lives, building partially collapses

At least six people were killed and several others injured after a massive fire broke out at a shopping mall in Karachi late on Saturday, officials said.

The fire broke out at Gul Plaza, a multi-storey shopping complex in a densely populated business district. Rescue services said they received the first emergency call at 10.38 pm, reporting that shops on the ground floor were on fire.

“When we arrived, the fire from the ground floor had already spread to the upper floors, and almost the entire building was engulfed in flames,” said Hassanul Haseeb Khan, a spokesperson for Rescue 1122.

Videos circulating on social media showed flames leaping from the building as firefighters worked through the night to prevent the fire from spreading to nearby structures. Hundreds of people gathered at the scene, including distraught shop owners watching their businesses burn.

Authorities reported that six bodies had been brought to Karachi’s Civil Hospital, while 11 injured people were receiving treatment. She added that police had invoked mass disaster protocols in response to the incident.

Images from inside the mall revealed burnt shop interiors and a bright orange glow as flames continued to rip through the building. The sections of the structure had begun to collapse, raising fears among rescue officials that the entire building could give way, cited reports.

As per the officials, the fire spread rapidly after igniting in an area where shopkeepers had stored imported garments, clothing and plastic household goods, which helped fuel the flames.

The cause of the fire was not immediately known.

Police said an investigation would be launched once the blaze was fully brought under control.