A catastrophic fire has devastated the historic Gul Plaza shopping mall in Karachi’s central business district, resulting in six confirmed fatalities and multiple injuries. The blaze ignited on Saturday evening at approximately 10:38 PM local time, rapidly consuming the commercial structure despite intensive firefighting efforts throughout the night.
Emergency response teams from Rescue 1122 encountered extreme conditions upon arrival, with flames already engulfing multiple levels of the building. Spokesperson Hassanul Haseeb Khan reported that the inferno had spread from ground-level shops to upper floors with alarming speed, overwhelming initial containment measures.
Medical authorities at Karachi’s Civil Hospital confirmed receiving six casualties while treating eleven injured individuals. Police surgeon Dr. Summaiya Syed indicated that mass disaster protocols had been activated in response to the scale of the emergency.
Visual documentation from the scene revealed extensive structural damage, with numerous shops completely destroyed and sections of the building facing potential collapse. The incident has drawn significant public attention, with hundreds of local residents and business owners gathering at the perimeter as firefighters continued containment operations into Sunday.
The tragedy highlights ongoing concerns regarding fire safety protocols in densely populated commercial districts throughout Pakistan’s largest metropolitan area. Investigation into the fire’s origin and the structural integrity of remaining portions of Gul Plaza continues as authorities assess the full extent of the damage.