KARACHI, Pakistan — The death toll from a massive fire at a shopping plaza in Karachi rose to 23 on Monday as rescuers recovered more bodies from the badly damaged building, police said. Dozens of people were still missing.
Firefighters extinguished the blaze at the multistory plaza late Sunday, nearly 24 hours after it erupted, allowing rescue teams to enter the building, authorities said. As the search continued into Monday, officials said the toll could increase.
City police chief Asad Raza told The Associated Press that only six bodies had been identified so far. He said authorities feared the death toll will rise as they look for 46 more people.
Police surgeon Dr. Summaiya Syed said that the remaining victims would need DNA testing because “bodies were beyond recognition.” She said doctors were collecting DNA samples from the relatives of the missing individuals.
Local media reported at least 26 people died in the blaze. Authorities, however, said the identification process is expected to take time given the condition of some of the bodies recovered.
Sindh provincial Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah said at a news conference that rescue teams were searching for survivors and the dead. He said those killed included a firefighter and that the government would provide 10 million rupees ($36,000) in compensation to the family of each person killed.
As night fell, rescuers continued efforts to reach parts of the severely damaged building where people were believed to be trapped after losing contact with their families the previous day. City Mayor Murtaza Wahab said the rescue operation would continue until all missing persons had been accounted for.
Dr. Abid Jalal Sheikh, Karachi’s chief rescue officer, said the fire spread quickly through shops storing cosmetics, garments and plastic goods. Relatives waited outside the burned-out plaza Monday, hoping to get word on missing family members.
Qaiser Ali told AP that his wife, daughter-in-law and sister went shopping for an upcoming wedding event on Saturday and were inside the building when the fire broke out. He said he spoke to all three by mobile phone on Sunday, but they later went silent, and he said, “I don’t know what has happened to them or whether they are alive.” He added, “We are praying that all those missing come out safely,” as he kept trying to contact them.
Saifur Rehman said he was inside the building when the fire broke out and managed to escape, but his brother Mohammad Abrar—who owns a shop in the plaza—was left behind. Rehman said he feared for his brother’s safety.
Police said the cause of the fire was not immediately known and that an investigation was underway. Karachi has a history of deadly fires, often blamed on poor safety standards and illegal construction. In November 2023, a fire at a shopping mall in the city killed 10 people and injured 22 others, and a massive fire at a garment factory in Karachi in 2012 killed 260 people.