Gul Plaza Fire: Death Toll Rises to 73 as Building Set to Be Sealed Today

Karachi, Pakistan – The death toll from the devastating Gul Plaza fire has risen to 73 after rescue teams recovered two more victims from the debris. Authorities confirmed that Gul Plaza will be completely sealed today, marking a new phase in the aftermath of the tragedy.

As per Sindh Forensic DNA and Serology Laboratory, the identification of victims continues. The head of the Identification Project confirmed that one of the freshly recovered bodies is that of Abdul Haseeb. Two more bodies were recovered at the site by rescue teams.

Overall, 21 bodies were not recognized at all after the fire. Among them, 16 have been confirmed by DNA profiling, and 15 victims have been identified before. Law enforcement agencies are encouraging the families of the 13 other missing persons to submit their DNA samples as soon as possible to close the identification process.

According to Deputy Commissioner Karachi South, the search operation in Gul Plaza is almost completed and only one part of the building is left to be cleared. Officials ruled out the possibility of any other victims in the locality. Families whose loved ones are yet to be found are encouraged to call the authorities at once.

This tragic event that initially claimed 82 missing individuals has cast doubts on fire safety in Karachi commercial buildings. The government has promised the citizens that it will conduct an investigative process to establish the reason behind the fire and take measures to avoid future catastrophes.