Islamabad, Jan 22: The death toll from a devastating fire at a shopping mall in Pakistan’s port city of Karachi has risen to 60, officials said on Wednesday, after at least 30 bodies were recovered from a shop inside the multi-storey building.
Senior police officer Syed Asad Raza said the bodies were found on the mezzanine floor of the mall. Several people are still missing, and rescue operations are continuing to trace those trapped inside.
Rescue teams are using heavy machinery to clear debris from collapsed portions of the structure. However, operations remain challenging due to intense heat and thick smoke inside the building.
Officials said one section of the building has been cleared, while search efforts are ongoing in the remaining two sections to locate people believed to be buried under the rubble.
Karachi Commissioner Syed Hassan Naqvi said an investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the fire, with authorities examining the incident from multiple angles.
