Gul Plaza Inferno: Death Toll Soars to 61 as 30 Bodies Found in Single Shop

On January 21, 2026, the scale of the tragedy at Karachi’s Gul Plaza became devastatingly clear as rescue teams recovered 30 bodies from a single shop named “Dubai Crockery.” The discovery on the mezzanine floor has pushed the estimated death toll to 61, making it one of the city’s deadliest commercial fires in over a decade. Survivors and relatives reported that the shop had stayed open until 2:00 AM for a wedding season sale; victims reportedly sought refuge inside, believing they would be safe, but were tragically overcome by smoke and heat while waiting for help.

The recovery operation remains slow as the building is now structurally compromised, with over 40% of the interior having collapsed. To reduce weight on the weakened floors, cranes have removed 32 vehicles and heavy generators from the rooftop. Meanwhile, the neighboring Rimpa Plaza has been declared unsafe after its pillars were weakened by the intense, prolonged heat. The Sindh government’s inquiry committee, led by Karachi Commissioner Syed Hassan Naqvi, is now investigating whether locked exits, 14 out of 16 were reportedly shut, contributed to the high casualty count.

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Identification is now the primary challenge, as many remains have been reduced to ashes. The CPLC has set up a help desk, and DNA samples from 51 families have been collected to match with the unrecognizable remains. Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has announced 10 million rupees in compensation for each victim’s family, while the SBCA has rejected rumors of missing building records, insisting all 1979 and 1998 blueprints are secured for the forensic probe.