Gul Plaza Fire: Man waits for brother outside ill-fated shopping mall

KARACHI: Family members of those missing in the Gul Plaza shopping mall fire are desperately searching for their loved ones. As the 48-hour mark approaches since the massive fire engulfed the building, the wait for news has become agonizing, ARY News reported.

Among those waiting is Muhammad Hameed, who is anxiously holding out hope for the recovery of his 42-year-old brother, Muhammad Arif.

Hameed urged the Sindh government and rescue services to accelerate their operations. Overwhelmed with emotion, he shared the heartbreak of returning home to his nieces, who continuously ask, “Where is our father?” and “When will he arrive?”

“How can I bring my brother back from that building myself?” Hameed asked, stressing the need for rescuers to expedite their efforts to find all missing persons, including his brother.

The fire at Gul Plaza on Karachi’s M.A. Jinnah Road erupted on the night of January 17, 2026, and raged for approximately 36 hours before being contained on the morning of January 19. Initial investigations suggest the blaze was triggered by an electrical short circuit on the ground or mezzanine floor, which quickly spread through the massive commercial hub housing over 1,200 shops. The human toll has been devastating, with confirmed fatalities ranging from 14 to over 26 people, including a firefighter, while more than **60 individuals remain missing. Rescue efforts have been severely hampered by the presence of highly flammable materials like garments and plastics, as well as the absence of functional fire-extinguishing systems within the building.

Following the disaster, large sections of the plaza have collapsed, leading authorities to declare the remaining structure extremely unsafe and halting deep-entry operations. In response, the Sindh government has announced a compensation package of Rs 10 million for the families of the deceased and launched a high-level inquiry to investigate the systemic safety failures and delayed emergency response. Simultaneously, legal action has commenced with a petition filed in the Sindh High Court, seeking to hold officials accountable for negligence in enforcing building codes. As families gather at help desks to provide DNA samples for victim identification, the incident has sparked a national conversation regarding the urgent need for stricter urban safety regulations.