More than 60 people were still missing as firefighters and heavy machinery cleared debris from Gul Plaza, a multi-storey commercial complex housing about 1,200 shops in Karachi’s historic centre.
Pakistani rescue workers on Monday began recovering bodies from the smouldering ruins of a sprawling shopping mall in Karachi as the confirmed death toll climbed to at least 21, raising fears that the disaster could become one of the deadliest fires in the city’s history.
More than 60 people were still missing as firefighters and heavy machinery cleared debris from Gul Plaza, a multi-storey commercial complex housing about 1,200 shops in Karachi’s historic centre.
Authorities warned that the number of fatalities was likely to rise significantly as search operations continued.
The inferno, which broke out late on Saturday, raged for more than 24 hours before it was mostly extinguished.
By Monday afternoon, much of the structure had collapsed, prompting cranes to demolish remaining sections amid fears of further cave-ins.
Videos circulating online showed flames ripping through the massive building as firefighters battled through the night to contain the blaze.
The interior of the mall was reduced to charred rubble, twisted metal and fallen air-conditioning units, with thick smoke lingering as crews worked to cool the site.
Families of the missing gathered at the scene, bracing for the worst as hopes of finding survivors faded.
Qasir Khan said his wife, daughter-in-law and her mother had gone to the mall on Saturday evening and were among those still unaccounted for.
"The bodies will come out in pieces from here. No one will be able to recognise them," Khan said, blaming the rescue effort for not being swift enough.
"They could have saved a lot of people."
Anger mounted on Sunday night when Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab visited the site, with crowds chanting anti-government slogans and protesting what they described as a delayed emergency response, according to local media.
Murad Ali Shah, the chief minister of Sindh province, had earlier put the death toll at 15, including a firefighter, with 65 people missing.
He said 80 people were injured, with 22 already discharged from hospital. Officials later confirmed that at least 21 deaths had been recorded as recovery operations progressed.
Kosar Bano said six members of her family had gone to the mall to shop for an upcoming wedding. The last message she received from them said they would be home shortly.
"The only hope we have is how many hands we will find, how many fingers we will find, and how many legs we will find. That's it," she said.
According to rescue services, the first emergency call was received at 10:38pm on Saturday, reporting a fire in ground-floor shops. By the time firefighters arrived, the flames had already spread to the upper levels, engulfing most of the building.
Firefighters said poor ventilation at Gul Plaza caused thick smoke to rapidly fill the complex, severely hampering rescue efforts.
"I'm admitting that there are faults. I can't say whose fault this is. An inquiry will be conducted and heads will roll," Shah said.
Provincial police chief Javed Alam Odho earlier attributed the blaze to an electrical fault, though Shah said the cause was still under investigation.
If the death toll continues to rise, the disaster could become Karachi’s deadliest fire since 2012, when a blaze at an industrial site killed more than 260 people. A court later ruled that the 2012 incident involved arson.