Gul Plaza fire: Death toll jumps to 73, twenty three bodies identified 

KARACHI: Death toll in Gul Plaza fire tragedy has jumped to 71 after rescue officials found two more remains of the victims from the debris, ARY News reported on Sunday.

According to the Sindh Forensic DNA and Serology Laboratory, the process of issuing DNA results remains ongoing. The in-charge of the Identification Project confirmed that the deceased has been identified as Abdul Haseeb.

Rescue teams have also recovered the remains of two additional individuals from the debris, officials involved in the identification process said.

Authorities stated that 21 unidentified bodies were recovered following the incident. Of these, 16 have so far been identified through DNA profiling. Earlier, the identities of 15 victims had already been confirmed using the same method.

With the latest identification, the total number of bodies identified has reached 23, while the overall death toll in the Gul Plaza incident now stands at 73, the Identification Project in-charge confirmed.

Meanwhile, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) City Arif Aziz defended the FIR registered in the aftermath of the blaze, stating it was “absolutely correct.”

He assured that the ongoing investigation into the fire would be made public.

SSP Aziz further informed the press that statements have been recorded from Gul Plaza’s security guards, electricians, and other witnesses.

He also revealed that a Digital Video Recorder (DVR) was recovered from the building’s basement, and authorities are currently working to retrieve data from it to establish the facts.

“The fire incident was the result of utter negligence and carelessness,” the FIR read. The safety measures were not taken in Gul Plaza mall. “The lights in the market turned off causing difficulties for the people in the premises,” according to the first information report (FIR).

“Several gates were also locked which further aggravated the situation”, FIR read. The names of the responsible persons will be added to the FIR after investigation of the incident. Chief Minister of Sindh Murad Ali Shah had earlier announced registration of the case.