Pakistan: At least 14 dead in Karachi mall fire
January 19, 2026
A massive fire gutted a shopping mall over the weekend in Pakistan's largest city, Karachi, leaving at least 14 people dead.
On Monday, a search began for more than 60 people missing in the disaster as rescuers recovered more bodies from the building overnight.
What do we know about the fire in Karachi mall?
The blaze at the multi-storey Gul Plaza broke out late Saturday and burned for over 24 hours before firefighters were able to extinguish the flames.
Rescue services said they received the first call about the ground floor of the mall being on fire at 10:38 p.m. local time (1738 GMT) on Saturday.
By the time the firefighters arrived, the flames had already reached the upper floors.
The mall houses nearly 1,200 shops although, according to local authorities, it is only designed for 400.
According to Abid Jalal Sheikh, the city's chief rescue officer, the fire rapidly swept through the shops storing cosmetics, garments and plastic items.
Fire officials said the lack of ventilation in the building caused a blanket of thick smoke inside the mall, hindering efforts to reach those who had been trapped.
By late Sunday, large parts of the building had caved in, with rescue workers warning that the remaining structure could collapse further.
The cause of the fire was not immediately known as police launched a probe into the incident.
Traders blame authorities for delayed response
Local media reports cited shopkeepers and residents saying that a delayed response and shortages of water and equipment impeded firefighting efforts.
Angered traders told local outlets that their livelihoods had been destroyed in the fire.
Karachi has witnessed several deadly fires that have been blamed on poor safety regulations and illegal construction.
In November 2023, ten people were killed at a mall fire in the city. At least 260 people died in a fire at a garments factory in Karachi in 2012.
Edited by: Kieran Burke