US EditionDeath Toll in Pakistan’s Karachi Mall Fire Rises to 11
The 26 fatalities include a firefighter, with 81 people still missing as rescue teams continue search operations amid concerns over safety violations and delayed response.
- On January 18, 2026, a massive fire gutted the Gul Plaza shopping mall on M.A. Jinnah Road in Karachi, and rescuers recovered five more bodies overnight, raising the death toll to at least 11.
- Officials say the blaze likely began in a shop, suspected from an electrical short circuit, and spread rapidly through flammable stock and poor ventilation in nearly 1,200 shops.
- Operational challenges included narrow access and water shortages as about 26 fire tenders, four snorkels and 10 water bowsers joined firefighters and rescue teams controlling the blaze.
- On Monday, search teams began looking for more than 60 missing people as around 30 injured patients were moved to burns centre and Jinnah Hospital, while Citizens-Police Liaison Committee and Edhi Foundation set up help desks and arranged DNA testing.
- Authorities said a formal investigation will follow cooling operations, with police probing the exact cause while officials warned the structure is unstable amid debris removal.
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Death toll from mall fire in Pakistan’s Karachi rises to 26, over 80 missing
The death toll from a fire at a shopping mall in Pakistan’s largest city has risen to at least 26, according to local media reports. More than 80 people are still missing or unaccounted for. The fire broke out Sunday at Gul Plaza, a large commercial building in Karachi. The blaze spread through multiple floors of the mall before firefighters brought it under control, officials said. At least 26 people were killed in the fire, including a firefig…
Pakistan: Gul Plaza mall fire death count reaches 26, more than 80 still missing as rescue operation continues
A devastating fire broke out at the Gul Plaza Mall located on MA Jinnah Road in Pakistan's Karachi, leading to a major tragedy. Authorities have confirmed that at least 26 people have died, while 81 others remain missing. According to ARY News, the building's structure has severely weakened after the incident and is no longer considered safe for public entry. Officials said the fire started around 10 pm on January 17 and was brought under contro…
Slow Emergency Response Blamed in Deadly Fire That Tore Through Pakistani Mall
A fire tore through a crowded mall in Karachi this past weekend, leaving at least 23 people dead and dozens missing on Monday in the latest tragedy that urban planners and shopkeepers have blamed on chronic mismanagement in Pakistan’s largest city. The road outside the mall was crowded on Monday with hundreds of residents who gathered around the blackened shell of a once-thriving market. Shopkeepers stood in silence, staring at ruined livelihood…
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