Rescue Teams Accelerate Relief Amid Fear of Gul Plaza Collapse

KARACHI: (Web Desk) – The rescue workers have intensified their relief operation clearing up the debris at the Karachi’s Gul Plaza, destroyed by a massive inferno, as they feared the building might collapse as one portion of the structure has collapse and the pillars of the remaining multi-storey building have bent due to the intense heat.

As per the details, families rushed to the Gul Plaza building after the blaze erupted on Saturday night at one of the portcity’s busiest malls, where over 80 people were still missing while the death tolls climbed to 26 on Tuesday morning.

“In total 26 bodies have been recovered,” Hassan Khan, spokesman for the Rescue 1122 Sindh emergency service, told newsmen. “The search operation will continue,” he said.

The deceased included a 25-year-old rescuer, Khan said, while at least 30 injured people were hospitalised.

Standing outside the burnt mall, Shehbaz Ghulam said his nephew’s whereabouts were unknown. “We have made requests to the authorities. We also request the media to help us in any way possible,” the 45-year-old said.

“No matter what condition he is in, if he is found and returned to us, we will find some peace,” he told newsmen.

The top police officer in Karachi’s southern district, Syed Asad Raza, told media men the force has “a list of 80 missing persons”.

Rescue workers said that the blaze had been brought under control some 35 hours after it broke out, reasons for which were still not known.

Deputy Commission South Javed Khoso said 18 of the 26 deceased in the Gul Plaza tragedy has been identified while 75 people were still missing.

Karachi’s Gul Plaza Fire: 26 Dead, Dozens Missing

He further revealed that location of 39 missing people has been traced inside the Gul Plaza.

The deputy commissioner said 40 percent of building has been collapsed while remaining structure is fragile. “We have requested the traders to cooperate with us and stay away from the red zone,” he added.

A government committee has launched an investigation, but it was not immediately clear what had caused the fire.

Among those waiting outside the mall was Muhammad Qaisar, who last heard from his wife, sister and daughter-in-law at 8:00 pm on Saturday. “The phone kept ringing until 10:00 pm, but no one answered. It continued to ring until midnight, but no one picked up,” Qaisar, 55, told newsmen.

The three-storey shopping mall housed at least 1,200 shops, offering a wide range of goods and was famous for wedding shopping and home decoration items.

A woman told 24NewsHD TV channel that she was looking for her two sisters who came here from Australia and Spain for wedding shopping.

Shopkeepers and families criticised authorities for slow rescue efforts.

Over 1,000 rescue and fire-fighting personnel took part in the relief and rescue operation. Now they have paced up the rubble removing work fearing the whole building might come down any moment as the pillars it was standing on have bent.

The rescue personnel have retrieved several bodies from the charred rubble, some were so burnt to be recognizable and some were brought out in pieces.

The workers earlier found it hard to go inside the plaza as they could not find a way to sneak in during the three-day-old relief operation.

The Sindh Buildings Control Association (SCBA) officials rushed to the site along with their maps but their effort was not of much use as the building of additional shops in the plaza has narrowed the passageways.

According to the SCBA maps, there were eight entry points in the Gul Plaza but five were closed due to the illegal construction of shops.

The Sindh government has announced to rebuild the Gul Plaza and rehabilitation of shopkeepers who owned 1,200 shops which were destroyed in the inferno.

Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah also announced Rs10 million compensation for family of each fire victim. If need arises the government will hold a judicial inquiry into the incident, he added.

Fire incidents are common in Karachi’s markets and factories, which are known for their poor infrastructure and safety measures.