The death toll from the devastating fire at Gul Plaza on MA Jinnah Road in Karachi has risen sharply to 61 after 30 bodies were recovered from a single shop inside the building, officials confirmed on Wednesday.
DIG South Asad Raza said the bodies were found in a crockery shop located on the mezzanine floor. He explained that shopkeepers had earlier pointed out the presence of people on the mezzanine level, prompting a focused search of the area. All 30 victims were recovered from the same shop, leading authorities to temporarily halt debris removal so bodies could be retrieved first. Officials said that following the outbreak of the fire, several people had locked themselves inside the shop in an attempt to escape the smoke and flames. The last known mobile phone locations of the victims also traced back to the same spot.