Gul Plaza fire: Nazimabad fire station to be named after shaheed Furqan

KARACHI: Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab has announced that the Nazimabad Fire Station will be renamed in honour of Furqan, the firefighter who was martyred during the rescue operation at Gul Plaza. ARY News reported that the Mayor also committed to providing employment to Furqan’s widow and covering the educational expenses of his children.

On Monday, Mayor Wahab visited Furqan’s family to offer his condolences. During the visit, he confirmed that the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) would ensure the family is supported through both employment and education grants.

The loss of the family’s sole breadwinner has been heart-wrenching. Furqan’s relatives described him as the pillar of their lives—a devoted father, brother, and son.

The family has appealed to the government to allow his widow to continue living in their government-allotted housing rather than withdrawing the facility.

Furqan had been part of the team battling the massive blaze that engulfed Gul Plaza on Saturday night.

The firefighter had tied the knot one and half years ago while he had a child.

During the firefighting operation, he tragically fell into the wreckage and lost his life after becoming trapped under the debris.

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.