Gul Plaza Fire: updated list of missing persons released as toll reaches 73

WEB DESK: Authorities have released an updated list of 49 individuals reported missing following the fire at Gul Plaza, as rescue and search operations continue at the disaster site.

The list includes men, women, children, and elderly residents who were last seen during the blaze. Among the missing are Aftab, Muhammad Arif, Umair Nabeel, and Abdul Haseeb, while women reported missing include Raheela Tabassum, Kainaat, Shaista, Maryam Wafa, and Kosar Parveen.

Several children are also on the list, including 12-year-old Hamza, 13-year-old Haider, and 14-year-old Hissam Muhammad. Elderly individuals such as 60-year-old Raheela Tabassum and 62-year-old Abu Bakr are also among those unaccounted for.

Other names include Muhammad Athar, Churchill, Shiz Baloch, Kamran, and Muhammad Shiz Y, along with Muhammad Hanif, Sarfaraz, Islam ul Haq, Muhammad Asif Khan, and Muhammad Ramzan. Authorities have urged the public to assist in locating Khadar, Imran, Sherbaz Ali, Ramzan Ali, and Saad.

Additional missing persons include Muhammad Mohsin, Muhammad Hanif, Muhammad Ashraf, Muhammad Saad, Misbah, Faizan, Hasan Ali, Muhammad Arif, Aamir, and Ayesha, as well as Asim, Muhammad Abrar, Muhammad Saleem, and Abdul Qayyum.

Officials are appealing to the public to provide any information that could aid in tracing the missing, as search efforts continue amid challenging conditions at the fire-damaged building.

Rescue efforts underway

Firefighters brought the massive blaze at Gul Plaza on MA Jinnah Road under control after nearly 36 hours, but authorities warned the building is now highly unstable and at risk of collapse. At least 14 bodies have been recovered.

The fire erupted late Saturday night at the multi-storey shopping centre and raged through Sunday, causing partial structural collapses. Active firefighting was halted after the main blaze was extinguished, with teams now focused on cooling the building and debris removal to allow safe access.

Chief Fire Officer Humayun Ahmed described the structure as unsafe, with recovery operations limited due to the danger. Commissioner Karachi Hasan Naqvi said teams were attempting to break windows to reach trapped individuals, while excessive heat and structural damage continued to hamper efforts. He confirmed the building will be demolished once rescue operations conclude.

DIG South Asad Raza stated that 14 deaths have been verified, including one woman, and several bodies were badly burned and temporarily placed in the Edhi morgue for identification. Rescue officials said lingering flames, extreme heat, and the unstable structure are major challenges, but operations to locate survivors and additional victims are ongoing.