New details have emerged regarding the fire incident at Gul Plaza in Karachi, where authorities have prepared a complete timeline of the blaze and emergency response with the help of CCTV footage to better understand the sequence of events.
According to officials, CCTV recordings show that the fire broke out at the rear side of the plaza at 10:07 pm. The situation escalated rapidly, and ambulances began arriving at the scene at 10:12 pm. The fire became visible on the M.A. Jinnah Road side of the plaza at 10:18 pm. Authorities stated that it took approximately 11 minutes for the fire to spread from the rear portion of the building to the front.
It is worth noting that search operations are still underway at the fire-ravaged Gul Plaza in Karachi. During the latest operation, 30 more bodies were recovered from the mezzanine floor, bringing the total death toll to 61, further highlighting the scale of the tragedy.
According to DIG South Asad Raza, shopkeepers had pointed out the presence of people on the mezzanine floor. He said that all 30 bodies were recovered from a single crockery shop, indicating that the victims had gathered there in an attempt to save themselves.
Officials added that after the fire broke out, the victims locked themselves inside the shop to escape the flames. The last mobile phone locations of these individuals were also traced to the same spot, which helped guide the search operation.
