11 die as fire engulfs shopping mall on Karachi’s Rashid Minhas Road

KARACHI: At least 11 people have died after a huge fire ripped through a multi-storey shopping mall on Karachi’s Rashid Minhas Road, ARY News reported on Saturday.

According to rescue officials, the fire that broke out at around 6:30 am engulfed the fourth, fifth and sixth floors of the shopping mall.

A faulty generator placed on the roof of the shopping mall was the cause of the fire, said fire brigade authorities.

More than 50 people trapped inside the mall have been rescued in the rescue operation involving two snorkels and eight fire tenders, said Sindh Rescue Director Dr Abid Sheikh.

“Efforts are being made to rescue more people trapped inside the mall,” Abid added.

The injured people were shifted to a nearby hospital where the condition of eight of them was said to be serious.

Taking to X, the Mayor wrote: “KMC Fire Department has so far confirmed that there have been 9 casualties in the fire incident.”

“Search process for trapped people still continues,” he added in the post.

KMC Fire Department has so far confirmed that there have been 9 casualties in the fire incident. 7 bodies have been shifted to Jinnah Hospital while 1 body each has been shifted to Civil and Abbasi Shaheed Hospitals. Search process still continues

— Murtaza Wahab Siddiqui (@murtazawahab1) November 25, 2023

Sindh Caretaker Chief Minister Justice (retd) Maqbool Baqar and Governor Kamran Tessori took notice of the incident and expressed grief over the loss of life in the wake of the deadly fire.

The chief minister has asked authorities concerned to provide immediate medical aid to the injured.