Death Toll in Karachi Shopping Mall Fire Rises to 67

The death toll from a fire at Gul Plaza shopping mall in Karachi, Pakistan’s southern port city, has risen to 67, officials said. The figure was confirmed after post-mortem examinations of all victims were completed. According to Chief Police Surgeon Sumaiyya Syed Tariq, identification and examination of all 67 bodies were completed by the fifth day of the incident. Of the total, six victims were identified through facial features, one through an identity card or partial facial recognition, and eight through DNA testing. 

A spokesperson for the Sindh Health Department confirmed that post-mortems of all 67 victims have been completed.

Rescue 1122 spokesperson Hasanul Hasib Khan said urban search and rescue teams are using advanced equipment such as thermal imaging cameras and locators to find victims trapped under the debris. 

According to Khan, the cameras detected temperatures of up to 1,200 degrees Celsius; however, the actual temperature inside the shopping mall was even higher, affecting the condition of the remains. He said cooling operations at the building have been ongoing for the past three days. Due to the dilapidated structure, officials have had to exercise extreme caution during the search operation, making the rescue efforts more challenging.