Fire-wrecked Gul Plaza yet to be handed over to SBCA

KARACHI: Fire-wrecked Gul Plaza building yet to be handed over to the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA), sources said on Wednesday.

SBCA officials have said that the demolition of Gul Plaza building will be initiated after written official order to the effect. “The SBCA didn’t receive yet a written order from the Deputy Commissioner-South,” officials said.

“We have got information about handing over of the dilapidated Gul Plaza building to the SBCA via the media reports,” officials said.

The building authority’s engineering team has completed survey of the fire-hit premises of Gul Plaza shopping mall and a strategy of demolition of the building will be made after receiving the relevant official order, sources said.

The demolition work will be started after the order, official source said.

Rescue officials on Tuesday said that search and debris removal operations at the site of the Gul Plaza tragedy have been completed.

The district administration said that the Gul Plaza building has now been handed over to the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA).

The administration stated that the decision regarding demolition of the structure or any further course of action will be taken by the SBCA.

Officials confirmed that all operational work at the site had already been halted on Monday.

Death toll

Police Surgeon Dr. Samia Syed has said that some of those who died in the Gul Plaza fire disaster remain unidentified, raising concerns that victims may include people whose families are still unaware of their fate.

According to reports, the Police Surgeon’s Office in Karachi has received a report regarding an unidentified victim from the Gul Plaza fire incident site. With this development, the death toll from the blaze has risen to 74.

Dr. Samia Syed said that a positive DNA result has been received from the Sindh Forensic DNA Laboratory. However, no matching reference sample has been submitted so far.

Deadly fire

On the night of Saturday, January 17, a massive fire erupted at Gul Plaza on M.A. Jinnah Road, engulfing the commercial hub in flames and trapping dozens inside.

The blaze was brought under control after more than 32 hours, revealing the fragility of the emergency response system that struggled to manage the disaster.

The building remains structurally unstable, as rescue teams—supported by the Army, Rangers, and civil authorities—continue searching for missing persons. Families are coordinating with authorities at help desks and DNA collection centres, while engineers assess the damaged structure.