Karachi, Jan 19: Six people, including a firefighter, died and dozens were injured in a horrific fire that broke out in an huge, old mall in Pakistan’s Karachi, officials said Sunday, adding, at least 18 were missing.Sindh Inspector General of Police (IG) Javed Alam Odho told the media on site that the fire at the multi-storey Gul Plaza on the city’s busy MA Jinnah Road had erupted at around 10:45 pm on Saturday night.
The fire broke out apparently in the basement and quickly spread to the upper floors and even after 20 hours was yet to be doused out completely.
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah directed Karachi Commissioner Hassan Naqvi to immediately inquire into the incident, investigate the reasons behind the fire and submit a report, according to a statement.
Senior minister in the provincial cabinet Sharjeel Inam Memon said the dead and injured were all victims of suffocation.
Odho told reporters there were around 1,200 shops having commodities which were flammable and all of them had been destroyed in the fire on all floors, including the basement and the mezzanine.