Overview
- A blaze that erupted late Saturday at Karachi’s Gul Plaza devastated the complex, leaving the site largely reduced to rubble and ash.
- Local authorities now report at least 60 dead in the latest count, though earlier official tallies put the number closer to 50.
- Dozens remain unaccounted for, with estimates of the missing ranging from about 30 to 84 as searches proceed through the ruins.
- Recovered remains are being identified through DNA testing, a process police doctors say will take several days due to the condition of the bodies.
- Investigators and officials say the center housed roughly triple its intended number of shops and had just two functioning emergency exits, and reporters describe it as Karachi’s deadliest fire since 2012.