Six killed in Pakistan shopping mall fire

BBC News - WorldCenterEN 2 min read 100% complete January 18, 2026 at 02:38 PM

AI Summary

medium article 2 min

A fire at the Gul Plaza shopping center in Karachi, Pakistan, has killed six people, including one firefighter, and injured over 20. The fire, which began on Saturday, quickly spread through the multi-story building, which contains 1,200 stores and flammable materials. Parts of the building have collapsed, hindering rescue efforts, and over 30 people are reported missing. Emergency services are struggling to control the blaze, and there are concerns about further collapses. Authorities have set up a desk to register missing persons, and Pakistan's President has ordered a review of safety regulations for commercial and residential buildings in the Sindh province.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Civil Hospital 30% Summaiya Syed 40% Rescue 1122 40% Hassan Khan 40% BBC ×240% Sindh 50% Asif Ali Zardari 60% Gul Plaza ×270% Pakistan 80% Karachi ×490%

Keywords

shopping mall fire 100% karachi 90% firefighters 70% building collapse 70% gul plaza 60% rescue efforts 60% mass disaster protocols 50% flammable materials 50% safety arrangements 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Very Negative

Score: -0.80

Source Transparency

Source

BBC News - World

Political Lean

Center (0.00)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

Karachi

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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shopping mall fire karachi firefighters building collapse gul plaza rescue efforts mass disaster protocols flammable materials safety arrangements

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