ISLAMABAD: Rescuers searching the ruins of Karachi’s fire-hit Gul Plaza recovered three digital video recorders (DVRs) that may help investigators ascertain the cause of the blaze, the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) said on Friday, as the death toll from the tragedy rose to 71.
The fire broke out on Jan. 17 at Gul Plaza, a densely packed commercial complex in the heart of Karachi, trapping workers and shoppers inside. Police earlier said the blaze could have resulted from a short circuit, however, authorities have yet to ascertain it.
Amid ongoing rescue operation, the Urban Search and Rescue Team found the DVRs and a charger in a room adjacent to the mosque inside Gul Plaza, which were handed over to the Karachi South deputy commissioner, according to KMC.
“With the help of DVRs, it is possible to find important evidence about the cause of the Gul Plaza tragedy,” KMC said in a statement. “The search and rescue operation is underway at the affected building with safety measures in place.”
The statement came hours after authorities raised the death toll in the incident to 71.
“We have processed 71 sets of remains, of which 20 have been identified,” chief police surgeon Dr. Summaiya Syed said, underscoring the scale of the disaster and the challenges facing forensic teams.
Identification has been significantly slowed by the condition of the remains recovered from the site, Syed said, noting that many bodies were found in fragments, complicating DNA analysis and prolonging the process for families waiting for confirmation.
Relatives of dozens of missing persons have remained near the destroyed plaza and at hospitals even after submitting DNA samples, with some families expressing frustration over the pace of recovery and identification.
Deadly fires are a recurring problem in Karachi, a city of more than 20 million people, where overcrowded markets, aging infrastructure, illegal construction and weak enforcement of safety regulations frequently contribute to disasters. Officials say a blaze of this scale is rare.
Traders have estimated total losses from the fire at up to Rs15 billion ($53.6 million). The Sindh provincial government this week announced compensation of Rs10 million ($35,720) for the family of each person killed in the blaze and said affected shopkeepers would also receive financial assistance.
