KARACHI (Reuters) – Pakistani firefighters on Monday began pulling bodies from the smoldering wreckage of a sprawling Karachi shopping mall where more than 60 people remain missing after a massive fire that killed at least 21 people.
The city’s biggest fire in more than a decade broke out late Saturday at Galle Plaza, a high-rise complex with 1,200 stores spread over an area larger than a soccer field. A fire in Karachi’s historic center continued to burn for more than 24 hours before it was almost extinguished.
Video showed flames tearing through the building as firefighters worked through the night to extinguish the fire. On Monday, they began cooling the building and removing twisted metal and debris strewn across the street, as well as toppled air conditioning units and store signs.
By Monday afternoon, most of the building had collapsed. A crane was used to demolish the remaining building amid fears it would collapse.
Kathir Khan said his wife, daughter-in-law and mother had gone to the mall on Saturday night and were among the missing.
“The bodies will come out of here in pieces. No one will recognize it,” Khan said, accusing rescue efforts of not being quick enough. “They could have saved a lot of people.”
Hundreds of people surrounded the building as rescue teams searched for survivors, including a shopkeeper whose life’s work was destroyed overnight.
“We went from high to dry to zero. All the hard work of 20 years is gone,” said shop owner Yasmeen Bano.
Rescue workers removed human remains in bags, which were then sent for DNA testing. They stopped periodically to drink water after enduring intense heat from the debris.
Mohamed Ameen, who was working at the scene for the non-profit organization Edhi Emergency Services, said 21 people, including children, were killed in the fire.
Murad Ali Shah, chief minister of the southern province of Sindh, which includes Karachi, told reporters that 65 people were still missing, while 22 others injured in the blaze had been released from hospital.
“We stand with the affected families and the Sindh government at this time of sadness and hardship,” Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said in a statement.
Local media reported that when Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab visited the scene on Sunday night, there was anger, with people chanting anti-government slogans and protesting the fire department’s response times.
Kosar Bano said his family of six went to the mall to shop for a wedding. The last time I heard from them they said they would be home within 15 minutes.
“The only hope we have is to see how many hands we can find, how many fingers we can find, how many feet we can find. That’s it,” she said.
According to rescue workers, authorities first received an emergency call at 10:38 pm (17:38 Japan time) on Saturday, reporting that a store on the first floor was on fire. By the time firefighters arrived, the flames had spread to the upper floors and consumed much of the building.
Images from inside the mall revealed burnt-out stores and a bright orange glow as flames continued to rise throughout the building.
Firefighters said a lack of ventilation at Galle Plaza allowed thick smoke to fill the building, delaying rescue efforts for people trapped inside.
“I accept that there was some fault. I can’t say who is to blame. There will be an investigation and people will be held accountable,” Shah said.
State police chief Javed Alam Odho earlier said the cause of the fire was an electrical malfunction, but Shah said the cause was still unknown.
The fire is the largest in Karachi since a 2012 factory fire that killed more than 260 people. A court ruled in 2020 that arson was involved in the disaster.
