The death toll in the Gul Plaza fire tragedy in Karachi has risen to 74, while the search operation has been completed and the damaged building has been sealed by authorities.
The incident has left families devastated, with relatives collecting the remains of victims in shopping bags, highlighting the scale of the disaster.
Officials confirmed that the last recovered body was identified through DNA testing, but the victim’s identity could not be established due to insufficient records.
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According to official data, around 80 citizens had reported missing relatives after the fire. DNA samples were collected from 69 families, while the heirs of 13 victims have not yet provided samples.
Authorities have forwarded data related to 30 bodies to the government to facilitate compensation for the affected families.
The Sindh government is expected to use this information to speed up financial assistance and relief measures for victims’ families.
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It is worth noting here that on the night of January 17, massive fire broke out at Gul Plaza – a mega commercial center, rapidly engulfing the building located in a busy area of Karachi.
The blaze caused extensive damage to the structure, trapping dozens of people inside and triggering a large-scale rescue operation. Rescue teams worked for several days to search for survivors and recover bodies from the debris.
Following the completion of rescue and debris removal operations, the building has been handed over to the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA). Officials said that any decision regarding demolition or future action will be taken by the SBCA after technical assessments of the building’s condition.
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Investigators probing the tragedy have also recovered three digital video recorders (DVRs) from the rubble, which could provide crucial evidence about how the fire started and spread.
The devices were found by the Urban Search and Rescue team in a room near a mosque adjacent to Gul Plaza and were handed over to the Deputy Commissioner of District South for further examination.
Authorities believe the footage may help reconstruct the sequence of events leading to the disaster.
