Karachi mall fire death toll rises to 23 as rescuers search for dozens missing

KARACHI, Pakistan (AP) — The death toll from a massive fire at a shopping plaza in Karachi rose to 23 on Monday as rescuers recovered more bodies from the badly damaged building, police said. Dozens remain missing.

Firefighters extinguished the blaze at the multistory plaza late Sunday, nearly 24 hours after it erupted, allowing rescue teams to enter the building. Authorities fear the death toll will rise as they look for 46 more people, according to city police chief Asad Raza.

Raza told The Associated Press on Monday that only six bodies have been identified so far. The rest will need DNA testing as the “bodies were beyond recognition,” police surgeon, Dr. Summaiya Syed, said. She said that doctors were collecting DNA samples from the relatives of the missing individuals.

Earlier, Sindh provincial Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah told a news conference in Karachi that rescue teams were searching for survivors and the dead. He said those killed in the fire included a firefighter and that the government would provide 10 million rupees ($36,000) in compensation to the family of each person killed.

As night fell, rescuers continued to struggle to reach parts of the severely damaged building where some people were believed to be trapped after losing contact with their families the previous day. City Mayor Murtaza Wahab said the rescue operation would continue until all missing persons had been accounted for.

The fire spread quickly through shops storing cosmetics, garments and plastic goods, said Dr. Abid Jalal Sheikh, Karachi's chief rescue officer.

Some of the relatives of the missing waited outside the burned-out plaza Monday, hoping for news.

Qaiser Ali said his wife, daughter-in-law and sister went shopping for an upcoming wedding event on Saturday and were inside the building when the fire broke out. He said he had spoken to all three by mobile phone on Sunday, but then they went silent.

“I don’t know what has happened to them or whether they are alive,” Ali told the AP. “We are praying that all those missing come out safely,” he said, as he continued trying to contact his missing family members.

Mohammad Abrar said he managed to escape the fire, but his brother, Saifur Rehman, who owns a shop in the plaza, was left behind. He said he feared for his brother's safety.

The cause of the fire was not immediately known. Police said an investigation was underway.

Karachi, the capital of Sindh province, has a history of deadly fires, often blamed on poor safety standards and illegal construction. In November 2023, a fire at a shopping mall in the city killed 10 people and injured 22 others.

A massive fire at a garment factory in Karachi in 2012 killed 260 people.

Rescue workers and firefighters work with heavy machinery to search through the rubble of a burnt building of a multistory shopping plaza following a massive fire in Karachi, Pakistan, Monday, Jan. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammad Farooq)

Firefighters search through the rubble of a burnt building of a multistory shopping plaza following a massive fire in Karachi, Pakistan, Monday, Jan. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Ali Raza)

Family members of missing persons comfort each other as they wait near the site of a burnt building of a multistory shopping plaza following a massive fire in Karachi, Pakistan, Monday, Jan. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Ali Raza)

Family members of missing persons wait near the site of a burnt building of a multistory shopping plaza following a massive fire in Karachi, Pakistan, Monday, Jan. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Ali Raza)

Rescue workers and firefighters work with heavy machinery to search through the rubble of a burnt building of a multistory shopping plaza following a massive fire in Karachi, Pakistan, Monday, Jan. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Ali Raza)

Firefighters examine a collapsed portion of a multi-story shopping mall following a massive fire that broke out overnight, in Karachi, Pakistan, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammad Farooq)

Firefighters try to control a massive fire that was broke out in a multi-story shopping mall in overnight, in Karachi, Pakistan, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammad Farooq)

CHANTILLY, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan 19, 2026--

Amentum (NYSE: AMTM) led a major milestone for NASA’s Artemis II mission with the successful rollout of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion spacecraft from the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) to Launch Complex 39B (LC-39B) at Kennedy Space Center. The rollout marks a key step in final preparations for the crewed Artemis launch. During the mission, the Orion crew capsule will carry four astronauts on an approximately 10-day journey around the Moon and back. It will be propelled by the SLS, the most powerful and capable rocket NASA has ever built.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260119993895/en/

“The successful rollout and preparation of Artemis II is a clear reminder of the responsibility entrusted to our team,” said Mark Walter, president of Amentum’s Engineering & Technology business. “Amentum delivered the engineering expertise and operational discipline that made this milestone possible, ensuring Artemis II’s progress towards launch preparations and advancing our nation’s human space exploration mission.”

During rollout operations, Amentum engineers and technicians played a central role in operating the crawler-transporter, the massive transporter used to move the mobile launch platform with the fully stacked SLS and Orion from the VAB to LC-39B. The multi-hour journey required precise coordination, continuous systems monitoring, and close integration with multiple teams to safely transport NASA’s most powerful rocket.

Under NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) program, Amentum is providing engineering, technicians, and systems integration for Artemis II. Amentum is responsible for maintaining and modernizing ground equipment, integrating and testing launch vehicles, and supporting launch, recovery, and overall operations for Orion and the SLS.

The crawler-transporter is a cornerstone of NASA’s ground infrastructure, designed to carry the SLS and Orion over several miles, including up a slope to the pad surface, at a carefully controlled pace and with extreme precision. Amentum’s role in operating and sustaining the crawler reflects decades of experience in high-consequence ground operations and mission-critical systems at Kennedy Space Center.

Artemis II is scheduled to launch early this year. With the successful rollout, NASA and Amentum have moved to the next major phase of this critical mission, including pad integration activities, final checkouts, and launch readiness activities.

About Amentum

Amentum is a global leader in advanced engineering and innovative technology solutions, trusted by the United States and its allies to address their most significant and complex challenges in science, security and sustainability. Our people apply undaunted curiosity, relentless ambition and boundless imagination to challenge convention and drive progress. Our commitments are underpinned by the belief that safety, collaboration and well-being are integral to success. Headquartered in Chantilly, Virginia, we have approximately 50,000 employees in more than 70 countries across all 7 continents.

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Artemis II successful rollout. (Photo by Amentum)