Gul Plaza inferno: 18 of the 26 discovered victims have been identified.

KARACHI (Channel NewsPakistan) – The death toll from the major fire at Karachi’s Gul Plaza shopping center, located on MA Jinnah Road, rose to 26 on Monday, with 18 corpses identified, including that of a fireman.

Twenty-two people were injured in the Gul Plaza disaster, which was brought under control after 33 hours, while more than 70 people are still missing.

The catastrophic fire reduced the structure to ashes. Several portions of a multi-story building fell, causing supports to weaken and raising worries that the remaining structure may collapse at any time.

Rescue teams resumed their search and rescue efforts inside the impacted structure, while the rubble clearance procedure was also ongoing.

Meanwhile, an investigating committee has been created, chaired by the Karachi Commissioner. The DNA samples used to identify found remains were forwarded to the University of Karachi’s DNA laboratory.

The DNA profiling was carried out at the Karachi Medico-legal Centre. Dr Sammiya, a police surgeon, indicated that DNA cross-matching will be used to identify bodies, and that samples from many bodies and families had already been obtained.

It is worth remembering that Karachi Police Chief Azad Khan had stated that initial investigations revealed no indication of sabotage. He stated that if carelessness is found, lawsuits would be filed.He added that rescue operations are being carried out cautiously, saying that no timeframe for their completion can be given.

Chief Fire Officer Humayun Ahmed confirmed that the primary fire at Gul Plaza has been totally extinguished, and cooling operations are presently ongoing. Limited search activities are also underway. The fire broke out on Saturday night and raged for 33 hours.

Earlier, all fire department trucks ceased operations on the back side of Gul Plaza as noises emanated from the structure during a firefighting operation. The structure had grown hazardous and was at risk of collapsing, therefore firefighting was ceased and only rubble collection was carried out.

Rescue personnel claimed that 90 percent of the fire had been extinguished, but work was halted owing to the building’s hazardous condition and the possibility of collapse.

The Pakistan Navy, Sindh Rangers, KMC, Rescue Sindh authorities, and volunteers all contributed to the firefighting and rescue efforts at Gul Plaza, risking their own lives to save others.