Six killed in Pakistan shopping mall fire
Six people lost their lives in a fire that broke out in a shopping mall in Karachi, Pakistan, while firefighters continued to fight the fire.
Parts of Gul Plaza, which contains 1,200 stores and spans 8,000 square meters (86,111 sq ft), collapsed, hampering rescue efforts, authorities said.
A firefighter was among the dead, more than 20 people were injured and some are feared still trapped in the multi-storey shopping centre.
The local emergency service said that when aid crews arrived at the scene on Saturday, “the fire from the ground floor had spread to the upper floors and almost the entire building was engulfed in flames”.
A senior police official told the BBC that authorities were unable to search the building for bodies because the fire was still ongoing.
More than 30 people, who gathered outside the center and anxiously waited for news from their loved ones, were reported missing by their families. The city’s administrators set up a desk to record the names and details of missing persons.
Smoke was still billowing from what was left of the Gul Plaza building Sunday morning. A large part of it has collapsed and it is feared that it may collapse further.
Hassan Khan, spokesman for Rescue 1122 in Karachi, told BBC Urdu that the mall contained flammable materials such as plastic foam, fabric, carpets and perfume.
Summaiya Syed, Karachi’s police surgeonHe said six bodies and some injured were transferred to the city’s Civil Hospital.
He added that police “resorted to mass disaster protocols.”
Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari expressed his condolences and told the government of Sindh province, where Karachi is headquartered, to comprehensively review security arrangements at commercial and residential buildings in the region.
