The remains of dozens more people killed in an inferno at a shopping centre in Pakistan have been found, bringing the total number killed to 67.
The fire at the multi-storey Gul Plaza in the country’s largest city of Karachi was extinguished late last Sunday, nearly 24 hours after it broke out.
By the time the blaze was extinguished, the building had largely been reduced to a mass of ash and debris.
The remains of the Gul Plaza shopping centre. Pic: Reuters
Police surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed said most remains had been discovered in fragments, making identification extremely difficult.
She said 67 deaths have been confirmed, with rescue teams still searching the centre. The previous number of deaths confirmed by authorities stood at 34.
The blaze erupted when most shop owners were either closing for the day or had already left, investigators said.
Rescue team members survey the site. Pics: Reuters
The Sindh provincial government said around 70 people went missing when the flames spread rapidly, fuelled by goods such as cosmetics, clothing and plastic household items.
While the cause of the fire remains under investigation, police have indicated a short circuit may be behind the blaze.
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Karachi has a history of deadly fires, with most buildings in the city and elsewhere in the country lacking fire prevention and firefighting systems.
In November 2023, 10 people were killed and 22 injured in a fire at another shopping centre in the city. In 2012, a massive fire at a garment factory in the city killed 260 people.