Death toll in Pakistan shopping centre fire rises to at least 60

Al JazeeraEN 2 min read 100% complete by Al JazeeraJanuary 22, 2026 at 08:08 AM

AI Summary

medium article 2 min

The death toll from a fire at the Gul Plaza Shopping Centre in Karachi, Pakistan, has risen to at least 60 as of January 22, 2026. The increase occurred after search and recovery teams discovered approximately 30 bodies inside a locked shop on the mezzanine floor. Victims reportedly sought refuge in the shop, "Dubai Crockery," to escape a stampede during the initial outbreak of the fire on the previous Saturday. Authorities are working to identify the deceased through DNA analysis, with over 50 families providing samples. Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has ordered a halt to debris removal until all bodies are recovered, as officials warn the death toll may continue to rise. Approximately 80 people are still missing.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Dawn 40% Dubai Crockery 50% Sindh 50% Summaiya Syed 50% Javed Nabi Khoso 60% Syed Asad Raza 60% Murad Ali Shah 60% Pakistan 80% Gul Plaza Shopping Centre ×285% Karachi ×490%

Keywords

shopping centre fire 100% death toll 90% karachi 80% gul plaza 70% search and recovery 60% dna analysis 50% stampede 40% safety failures 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Very Negative

Score: -0.80

Source Transparency

Source

Al Jazeera

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

Karachi

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis.

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shopping centre fire death toll karachi gul plaza search and recovery dna analysis stampede safety failures

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