Twelve days after the tragic fire at the Gul Plaza shopping center in Karachi, authorities claimed that the blaze was accidentally started by a child. The fire erupted on the ground floor at 10:15 PM and rapidly engulfed the building due to air conditioning ducts, claiming 79 lives, most of which were on the mezzanine level.
An investigative report compiled by a committee including the Commissioner of Karachi and the Additional Inspector General of Police details the fire’s origin, response of firefighting teams, rescue operations, and eyewitness accounts. The first fire tender arrived at 10:37 PM, with the Deputy Commissioner Karachi South present on-site by 10:30 PM, while Rescue 1122 teams reached by 10:53 PM.
The blaze began in a flower shop and is believed to have spread when an unassuming child inadvertently caused a fire at the shop. Authorities have recovered 79 bodies so far, but only seven victims could be identified visually. At least 46 remains unidentifiable and undergoing DNA testing, while six individuals are still missing.
So far, 27 bodies have been identified, with 20 identified through DNA analysis, including members of a family from Delhi Colony. The Sindh Police has handed over the bodies of two more family members—Kausar Parveen and Ashraf—to their families on Wednesday. Earlier, four members of the same family were identified using DNA tests.
The Sindh Police have launched a joint investigation with the Urban Search and Rescue Force from Punjab, utilizing advanced technology to collect samples from critical sections of the burnt building. A meeting between representatives from both agencies was held at the office of the Deputy Commissioner Karachi South.
The investigation aims to determine how such a large building could be engulfed so quickly by fire and to identify the exact origin and cause of the blaze. Forensic teams from the Sindh Police, with support from Punjab’s forensic experts, are also examining structural and technological evidence to prevent similar disasters in the future.