KARACHI: Rescue efforts continued on Tuesday at Karachi’s Gul Plaza after a deadly inferno claimed at least 23 lives, with teams working to clear the shopping mall’s basement.

The fire had erupted on Saturday night. The plaza, parts of which collapsed due to the blaze, was a ground-plus-three-storey building with 1,200 shops spread over 8,000 square yards.

While the fire at the mall located on M.A Jinnah Road was said to be doused after more than 24 hours on Sunday, firefighting efforts had to resume on Monday as flames reignited from the smouldering debris.

South Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Syed Asad Raza told Dawn that rescue teams had not entered the building’s first floor and no bodies had been recovered overnight.

“Rescue teams have just entered Rimpa Plaza and the operation has just started,” said the senior police official.

He further stated that the total number of confirmed missing persons was 38, whose locations had been traced to Gul Plaza via their cell phones. The locations of the 37 other individuals could not be traced.

More than 60 people are reported missing.

Earlier, Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab, who was present at the incident site overnight, said that the “blaze has been brought under control with the joint action of district administration, rescue agencies and Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC)”.

He added that rescue teams were clearing the debris and had entered the basement of the mall and assured that “all possible help will be provided to the affected families”.

Wahab vowed that “until all missing persons are found and the rescue operation is completed, all departments of the KMC are to remain on high alert”.

Heavy machinery was also brought in to clear the mall’s roof, the mayor said.

The rescue teams have begun removing vehicles parked on the roof using cranes.

The mayor added that the heavy machinery will be present at the site until the operation is completed.

On late Monday night, DIG Raza told Dawn that 23 bodies had been recovered from the debris. He added that the body parts of some of the victims had been recovered.

In a statement, Rescue 1122 Chief Operating Officer (COO) Dr Abid Jalal said that while “more than 20 bodies have been recovered, the final number of dead cannot be stated at the moment”.

“Some bodies have been recovered in the form of body parts from various locations,” he said.

“Until it is determined through a technical and forensic verification whether these parts are of the same person or different people, confirming the correct number [of deaths] is difficult.”

KP CM conveys condolences to Murad Shah

Meanwhile, in a letter to Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah on Tuesday, his Khyber Pakhtunkhwa counterpart Sohail Afridi conveyed his “heartfelt condolences” over the fire incident.

Stating that he was “deeply saddened” by the incident, the KP CM noted that the blaze “led to the loss of precious lives and caused immense distress to many

families”.

“My thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved families in this hour of grief, and I sincerely hope for the swift recovery of those who were injured,” the chief minister wrote.

CM Afridi added, “I also wish to convey my sympathies to the Government of Sindh which is confronted with the difficult task of responding to the aftermath of this tragedy.

“At moments like these, the sorrow of one province is felt by the entire nation, and the people and Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa stand with the people and Government of Sindh in solidarity and compassion.”

The KP CM’s letter comes after his visit to Karachi earlier this month, when he was accorded a warm welcome by the Sindh government, but the journey ended with him decrying the “treatment” meted out to him by the provincial administration.

During the visit, a meeting with CM Murad was on CM Afridi’s agenda but it did not take place, with both sides placing the fault on the other.

‘65 people remain missing’

On Monday, speaking on Geo News programme ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada ke Saath’, Mayor Wahab said that the tally thus far showed that 65 people were missing.

“Others are saying there are 77 missing, but I can confirm that it is 65,” Wahab said. “Of those 65, we have retrieved and identified 18 bodies. We have retrieved other bodies, but they have not been identified; we are waiting on DNA,” he said.

He said that firefighting operations had concluded, and cooling work was ongoing.

“We have been able to access three areas of the building: we can enter two areas where the structure is still standing, and one portion in the rear that collapsed,” Wahab said.

The mayor added that until last night, reports of movement were received, but when rescuers accessed those areas, there were no signs of life.

He said that rescue workers had been told to be mindful of this and instructed to drill with caution.

He said that 1,200 shops were active in the plaza. “Over the years, naturally, problems emerged which need to be investigated for negligence,” Wahab said.

The provincial government has set up an inquiry committee, led by Karachi Commissioner Hassan Naqvi, to probe the causes of the fire.

CM Murad yesterday announced a relief, inquiry and fire-safety reform package, saying the government would support both bereaved families and affected shopkeepers.

The chief minister said the family of each deceased victim would receive Rs10 million in compensation. He also promised assistance for the shopkeepers, saying a special committee had been constituted to help those affected.