Burglars target home of trader missing in Gul Plaza fire

KARACHI: Burglars have stolen cash and gold jewellery after breaking into the house of a trader who went missing in the Gul Plaza fire incident, further compounding the suffering of the victim’s family.

According to the victim’s relatives, the burglary occurred while family members were busy searching for Asif, who has been missing since the devastating fire at Gul Plaza on M.A. Jinnah Road late Saturday night, January 17.

Family members told the media that they were repeatedly visiting the Deputy Commissioner’s Office and mortuaries in an effort to trace their missing relative when unknown burglars broke into the house and fled with gold jewellery and cash.

They said the incident occurred three days ago, but despite informing Garden Police, no action has been taken so far.

Meanwhile, rescue officials confirmed that search and clearance operations are still underway at Gul Plaza following the deadly blaze, which has claimed at least 71 lives, while several people remain unaccounted for.

The victim’s family has appealed to authorities for immediate action against the thieves and enhanced security for families affected by the tragedy.

Meanwhile, rescue authorities have recovered more than 1.5 kilograms of gold from a jewellery shop located in the fire-hit Gul Plaza on M.A. Jinnah Road in Karachi and handed it over to the owners.

During the search operation, rescue workers recovered gold jewellery worth over Rs60 million, which was found intact despite the fire. Officials said the gold sets were filled with water but remained undamaged.

The recovered gold was handed over to the plaza administration and subsequently returned to the shop owner, who expressed gratitude to the authorities, stating that all valuables were received safely.

Rescue 1122 spokesperson Hassan Ali said that a fresh search operation is being carried out in the basement of Gul Plaza. He added that some cash was also recovered during the operation and handed over to the administration. Parts of a DVR system were found in the control room and the hard disk has been sent for forensic examination.