Gul Plaza fire tragedy exposes severe shortage of fire stations in Karachi

A shocking revelation has exposed the alarming lack of fire safety measures in Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city with an estimated population of around 25 million. Officials have acknowledged that the metropolis suffers from a severe shortage of fire stations, falling far below internationally accepted safety standards.

According to Fire Chief Officer Muhammad Humayun Khan, standard operating procedures (SOP) require one fire station for every 0.1 million people. By that measure, Karachi should have around 2,500 fire stations.

While talking to ARY News correspondent, Waseem Badami, Muhammad Humayum made an alarming revelation that the city has only 28 fire stations, supported by 45 fire tenders and six snorkels, which are far less than the requirement of the city.

Waseem Badami highlighted international comparisons, noting that Dhaka has 112 fire stations, New Delhi has 61, and an Iranian city, Tehran, with a smaller population, has 452.

The issue came into sharp focus following a deadly fire at the Gul Plaza shopping mall on MA Jinnah Road. The blaze, which broke out late on Saturday, 17 January 2026, was brought under control after 36 hours.

The Gul Plaza inferno left horrifying memories behind. At least 28 people, including one firefighter, have lost their lives, while 81 others are still missing. Two sections of the building collapsed during the incident. Gul Plaza housed around 1,200 shops.