On the night of 17 January 2026 at 22:15 PKT, a major fire broke out at the Gul Plaza shopping centre on Muhammad Ali Jinnah Road in Karachi, Pakistan.[1][2] The blaze spread rapidly through the multistory commercial building, resulting in 61 deaths, injuries and extensive damage.[3][4][5][6][7]
Gul Plaza was a multi-storey shopping complex located on MA Jinnah Road in Karachi's Saddar area, which housed approximately 1,200 shops selling garments, electronics, cosmetics and household goods spread across three storeys, a mezzanine, and the basement.[8][9][10] The complex was situated on an area of over 8,000 square yards.[11] According to the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA), the building was originally constructed in 1979, had a revised plan approved in 1998, and was "duly regularised" under the 2001 Regularisation Amendment Ordinance in 2003. In 2005, a revised No Objection Certificate for sale and advertisement was issued, approved for 1,102 shops spread across the basement, ground, first, second, and third floors.[12][13]
Thirteen of Gul Plaza's 16 exits were locked, as it was near closing time.[9] There were no emergency exits, smoke alarms, fire hoses, fire extinguishers, or fire sprinkler systems were present in the building.[14][15] A Sub-Fire Officer commented, "If they had a fire extinguisher in the first shop where the fire initially erupted, they could have put it out there and then."[15]
Fire
The fire started at around 22:15 PKT on the ground floor of the building and quickly spread to the upper levels due to the presence of flammable materials and limited ventilation.[16][17] The fire started in a shop selling artificial flowers and pots.[18]
According to the Dawn newspaper, the authorities responded slowly and with only "limited resources" to extinguish the fire. As a result, the blaze is said to have burned "uncontrolled for hours".[19] Responders cut through windows and destroyed walls using hammers to get inside.[18]
Firefighters from the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) and Rescue 1122 battled the blaze for several hours. Multiple sections of the building collapsed during firefighting operations.[20] The Pakistan Navy sent a fire brigade.[21] After nearly 36 hours of continuous efforts, the fire was finally brought under control on 19 January.[22]
Casualties
At least 61 people, including a firefighter, were confirmed dead.[3] The firefighter, 36-year-old Furqan Ali, was killed in a structural collapse that also injured another firefighter.[23] He was based in Nazimabad Fire Station and started working for the KMC Fire Department in 2018.[15] More than 20 people were injured, while over 85 were reported missing during rescue operations.[24]
On 21 January, 30 bodies were retrieved from a crockery shop on the mezzanine floor. The victims were suffocated after locking themselves in the shop awaiting rescue.[25][26][27] According to Dawn, the shop had announced a sale for the wedding season, leading to a large amount of people present in the shop. Additionally, the shop decided to close at 2 am instead of the usual 10 pm due to the sale.[26]
Response
The Sindh government called the fire a "national tragedy".[19] It announced compensation of 10 million rupees (US$35,000) for the families of the deceased,[2][28] ordered an inquiry into the incident and established a helpline for families of missing persons. Hospitals across the city were placed on emergency alert.[29]
Aftermath
The complex was heavily damaged and partially collapsed.[19] The neighbouring Rimpa Plaza was declared unsafe by the SBCA after it was damaged by debris from Gul Plaza.[30]
The fire caused extensive economic losses to shop owners and renewed debate over fire safety compliance in Karachi's commercial buildings.[31][32] According to the Press Trust of India, a senior official of the Gul Plaza's shop owners association estimated economic losses of at least 3 billion rupees.[33]
The search for people was hampered by the risk of further collapse of the buildings.[19]
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