Gul Plaza Fire: FIR reveals details of deadly tragedy

KARACHI: The first information report (FIR) for the Gul Plaza fire has been made public, shedding light on the circumstances of the devastating incident, ARY News reported.

The FIR, filed by Inspector Nawaz Ali Zardari, reveals how the fire broke out and why it escalated so catastrophically.

According to the report, emergency services received a call around 10:30 pm about a fire at the Gul Plaza shopping mall. Upon arrival, firefighters found the building engulfed in flames, with panic spreading and several people trapped inside.

The FIR notes that the fire spread rapidly throughout the plaza, destroying multiple shops and causing partial structural collapse. Initial investigations indicate that the blaze started at shop number 193, identified as New Tawkkal Flower & Gift Shop.

Tragically, 71 people died from burns and smoke inhalation. The FIR includes the names of all the deceased along with their postmortem numbers and lists the shops that were burned in the incident.

Investigators highlighted severe safety failures. Several gates of Gul Plaza were reportedly locked, leaving no accessible emergency exits. Power had been cut, making evacuation extremely difficult and exacerbating the chaos. These lapses directly contributed to the high death toll and extensive financial losses.

The FIR concludes that the incident was the result of negligence and oversight. The investigation will be led by the in-charge of the CIC Garden Division, who will review all aspects of the fire, including the emergency response and safety compliance.

Gul Plaza Fire

On the night of Saturday, January 17, a massive fire erupted at Gul Plaza on M.A. Jinnah Road, Karachi, 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.