A massive fire that erupted late Saturday night at Gul Plaza, a popular multi-storey shopping complex on M.A. Jinnah Road in Karachi, Pakistan, has claimed at least 23 lives as of Monday evening, January 19, 2026, with dozens still missing and rescue operations continuing amid fears of further structural collapse.
The blaze, which raged for over 24 hours before being largely brought under control on Sunday night, tore through the densely packed building that housed more than 1,200 shops selling items like garments, cosmetics, plastics, perfumes, and other highly flammable goods. The fire spread rapidly due to poor ventilation, blocked emergency exits, and the abundance of combustible materials, filling the structure with thick, suffocating smoke that severely hampered early rescue efforts.
Key Details and Latest Updates
Death Toll and Missing Persons: Rescue teams from Rescue 1122, Pakistan Navy, and other agencies have recovered at least 23 bodies (including one firefighter) from the debris as of late Monday. Officials report a list of around 69 missing persons, with mobile phone tracking linking about 35 to locations inside the plaza. The toll has risen steadily throughout the day as debris removal and search operations intensify, with some reports indicating it could climb higher.
Injuries and Response: Dozens were injured, primarily from smoke inhalation, with many treated at Civil Hospital Karachi. An emergency was declared at the facility.
Cause: Initial suspicions point to an electrical short circuit, though Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has stated the exact cause remains under investigation. An inquiry committee, headed by the Karachi commissioner and assisted by police, has been formed, with forensic support requested.
Here are some striking visuals of the aftermath and ongoing rescue efforts:
(Images show firefighters amid smoldering ruins, heavy machinery clearing debris, and smoke rising from the collapsed sections of Gul Plaza on January 19, 2026.)The building, a decades-old commercial hub larger than a football field, has been declared structurally unsafe in parts, with visible cracks and partial collapses reported. Firefighting required over 20 tenders, snorkels, water bowsers, and massive amounts of water (around 1.4 million gallons used so far).
Official Response and Condolences
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah announced Rs10 million (approximately £26,700) in compensation for the families of the deceased and pledged urgent rehabilitation for affected traders, including potential reconstruction of the market. President Asif Ali Zardari has called for a comprehensive review of fire safety standards in commercial buildings across Sindh.
The Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) has demanded a judicial commission to probe negligence, while political leaders and international consulates (including the UK, Germany, and Russia) have expressed condolences.
This tragedy is Karachi's deadliest fire in over a decade, highlighting recurring issues with building safety, illegal modifications, and inadequate fire prevention in the city's crowded markets. It follows previous incidents, including a 2012 garment factory blaze that killed over 260 people.
As search and recovery efforts continue into the night, families of the missing gather outside the site, clinging to hope amid the devastation. Authorities urge anyone with information on missing persons to contact the Deputy Commissioner South helplines.
The owner of Gul Plaza in Karachi is not publicly named in official reports or mainstream media coverage of the recent fire incident. Based on available information from Pakistani authorities, news outlets, and inquiries into the building's management, the plaza appears to be privately owned, with day-to-day operations handled by a management committee responsible for maintenance and safety.
The Gul Plaza Traders Association, which represents the shop owners and tenants (many of whom own their individual units within the complex), is chaired by Muhammad Ismail. He has been vocal in media statements about the economic impact of the fire, including job losses for around 6,000 employees and billions in damages to traders. However, this association does not equate to ownership of the building itself—it's more of a collective for the 1,200+ shops housed there.
The building has been a fixture in Karachi's Saddar area since at least the 1980s, aligning with the era when Afghan refugees began investing heavily in Pakistani real estate amid the Soviet-Afghan War. Karachi has long been a hub for such investments, including in commercial properties, often funded through remittances, trade, or informal economies.
On the question of the underworld angle, including investments from illegal activities like drugs, kidnapping for ransom, or rivalries leading to targeted attacks: There are no credible media reports or official statements exploring this in relation to the Gul Plaza fire. The Sindh government and Karachi police have attributed the blaze preliminarily to an electrical short circuit, with an ongoing inquiry by a committee headed by the Karachi commissioner.
However, social media and some unverified online discussions have speculated about arson motives, including claims that the plaza has indirect links to Indian underworld figure Dawood Ibrahim's family or associates in Karachi. These posts suggest the fire could have been set to destroy documents or evidence amid investigations into organized crime, with one alleging a newly hired employee (a "peon" in the admin department) fled the country shortly after.
Similar rumours have circulated about rivalries in Karachi's property market, where underworld elements (including those tied to drug trafficking or extortion) have historically laundered money through real estate since the 1980s. Dawood Ibrahim, for instance, is known to have invested in Karachi properties, but these claims remain unsubstantiated speculation without evidence from law enforcement or journalism.
Karachi's history does include documented cases of underworld involvement in property, such as through gangs linked to drugs and kidnappings (e.g., the Lyari gang wars or ties to Afghan heroin networks), and splits among groups often lead to violent reprisals like arson.
Afghan refugee investments since the 1980s have sometimes overlapped with informal or illicit economies due to limited formal banking access, but no specific reports tie this to Gul Plaza or suggest the fire was a targeted hit stemming from such rivalries. If new details emerge from the ongoing probe, they could shed light on any hidden angles, but as of now, the focus remains on fire safety lapses and structural issues in the building.
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