Overview
- The blaze erupted on the night of January 17 at the MA Jinnah Road market, with authorities reporting roughly 60–75% containment after a large deployment that included 22 fire tenders, 10 water bowsers and four snorkel units.
- Rear sections collapsed earlier and the front later fell, leaving the structure severely unstable, and Rescue 1122 says interior operations remain hazardous while the search for the missing continues.
- A firefighter, Farqan, was killed during the response, and more than 20 people were injured, with several listed in critical condition according to hospital sources.
- In briefings to Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, officials said the building lacked emergency exits and fire-suppression systems and had expanded from about 500 planned shops to over 1,200, while the chief fire officer estimated more than 1,500 shops were burning; the cause is still under investigation.
- Helplines have been set up by the deputy commissioner and police for information and missing-person reports, and the Sindh government has pledged relief for traders and families alongside the formal probe.