Gul Plaza Fire: Rescue head says unsafe construction behind tragedy

KARACHI: DG Rescue 1122 Wajid Sibghatullah Mahar has revealed the major flaws in the construction of Gul Plaza, the market that was destroyed in a horrifying fire that also claimed several lives on Sunday, 17 January 2026, ARY News reported.

The DG Rescue describes the construction of Gul Plaza as unsafe and unprofessional. He also mentioned that the shops had been constructed beyond the available space in the plaza.

“The shopping center was originally designed to house around 200 to 250 shops, but more than 1,200 had been constructed instead”, DG Rescue 1122 added.

He said that construction more than capacity led to limiting the entry and exit points, making it difficult for people to escape when the fire spread.

Wajid Sibghatullah added that many victims were unable to flee through windows because iron grills had been installed.

He said the absence of proper fire exits, and due to combustible material, the fire engulfed the building rapidly.

“The most critical feature of any building is a fire exit,” he said, adding that its absence had turned the incident into a major tragedy and complicated rescue efforts.

Gul Plaza Fire- Latest News and Updates

The fire at Gul Plaza has caused billions of rupees in losses to traders, and several lives have been lost, while rescue and recovery operations are ongoing.