A catastrophic fire erupted at Gul Plaza, a prominent shopping mall in Karachi, leaving at least 14 people dead and more than 60 missing. The fire ignited late Saturday and quickly spread through the mall’s 1,200 shops, challenging firefighters working to control the towering flames.
As rescue operations continued, authorities cautioned that the devastated building might collapse. Eyewitnesses and shopowners, many of whom lost their livelihoods, watched in anguish. The cause of the fire is suspected to be a circuit breaker, exacerbated by the mall’s structural and item flammability issues.
The incident has spurred criticism of emergency response times, with protests during a site visit by Karachi’s mayor. This may be one of the city’s worst disasters since a 2012 arson case that claimed over 260 lives. The public awaits answers and improvements in fire safety protocols.
(With inputs from agencies.)