Recovery of 5 more bodies from Karachi shopping plaza brings fire death toll to 28

KARACHI, Pakistan (AP) — The bodies of five more people were recovered on Tuesday from the scene of last weekend's massive fire at a shopping plaza in Pakistan’s largest city, bringing the confirmed death toll to 28, officials said.

The search for dozens of people reported missing is continuing as rescuers reached some of the most badly damaged sections in Karachi's multistory Gul Plaza that have either collapsed or been severely weakened since Saturday's blaze.

The cause of the fire, which raged for more than 24 hours before firefighters brought it under control, is still unclear, according to officials.

Mobile phone data showed at least 31 of the people reported missing were inside the plaza on the night of the fire, senior police official Asad Raza said. Authorities believe others reported missing may not have been carrying cellphones, Raza said.

Six members of Mehmood Khan's family are among those missing. “My two 15-year-old nephews, a cousin, and three other relatives,” he told The Associated Press.

He said they were last heard of about an hour after the fire broke out, when they received a voice message saying smoke had filled the building.

Firefighter Muhammad Aslam, 57, said the main section collapsed while first responders were inside the building, killing his colleague Furqan Ali and injuring another firefighter.

Nearly a third of the mall has collapsed, according to Dr. Abid Jalal Sheikh, a senior rescue official.

“We still cannot enter the upper sections because of the weakened structure and dense smoke in narrow alleys and small shops,” he told the AP.

Karachi's Mayor Murtaza Wahab said that some sections of the building had already been searched and heavy machinery was being used to clear rubble from a portion that collapsed Sunday.

Wahab met with families of the missing, many visibly shaken, and assured them that authorities were making every effort to locate those still unaccounted for.

“We will continue this rescue operation until all missing persons are found,” he told reporters.

Authorities said many of the recovered bodies were burned beyond recognition. In several cases, only body parts were found and DNA testing is underway to identify the victims, according to police surgeon Dr. Summaiya Syed.

On Monday, Sindh provincial Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah said that the government would provide 10 million rupees ($36,000) in compensation to the family of each victim.

Rescuers were working around the clock and there was hope some trapped victims might still be found alive, he said.

The sprawling shopping plaza houses about 1,200 shops, most selling imported clothing, cosmetics and plastic household goods. Dozens of the missing were shop owners and customers.

Karachi, the capital of southern Sindh province, has a long history of deadly fires, often blamed on poor safety standards, lax enforcement and illegal construction.

In November 2023, a shopping mall fire killed 10 people and injured 22 others. One of the deadliest industrial disasters in Pakistan’s history occurred in 2012, when a fire at a Karachi garment factory killed at least 260 people.

Mahmood Khan shows the press pictures of six family members who he says went missing after the fire at a multi-story shopping plaza, as he waits for information about them at the site of the fire in Karachi, Pakistan, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammad Farooq)

Firefighter Mohammad Aslam, who was injured during rescue operations, stands at the site of a burnt, multi-story shopping plaza in Karachi, Pakistan, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026, following a massive fire. (AP Photo/Mohammad Farooq)

A family member of a missing person waits 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 clear the rubble of a burnt building of a multi-story shopping plaza following a massive fire in Karachi, Pakistan, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Ali Raza)

Rescue workers and firefighters use heavy machinery to clear the rubble of a burnt building of a multistory shopping plaza following a massive fire in Karachi, Pakistan, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Ali Raza)

Rescue workers and firefighters work with heavy machinery to clear the rubble of a burnt building of a multi-story shopping plaza following a massive fire in Karachi, Pakistan, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Ali Raza)

A family member of a missing person waits as rescue workers and firefighters search through the rubble of a burnt building of a multistory shopping plaza following a massive fire in Karachi, Pakistan, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Ali Raza)

DENVER (AP) — A Frontier Airlines plane hit and killed a pedestrian on the runway of the Denver International Airport during takeoff, airport authorities said, sparking an engine fire and forcing passengers to evacuate.

The plane, on route from Denver to Los Angeles International Airport, “reported striking a pedestrian during takeoff at DEN at approximately 11:19 p.m. on Friday," the airport's official X account wrote.

A spokesperson for the airport said the pedestrian, who jumped a perimeter fence, has died. They said the unidentified person was hit two minutes after entering the airport. The person is not believed to be an airport employee.

“We're stopping on the runway,” the pilot tells the control tower according to the site ATC.com. “We just hit somebody. We have an engine fire.”

The pilot tells the air traffic controller they have “231 souls” on board and that an “individual was walking across the runway.”

The air traffic controller responds that they are “rolling the trucks now" before the pilot tells the tower they “have smoke in the aircraft. We are going to evacuate on the runway.”

Frontier Airlines said in a statement flight 4345 was the one involved in the collision and that “smoke was reported in the cabin and the pilots aborted takeoff.” It was not clear whether the smoke was linked to the crash with the pedestrian.

“The Airbus A321 was carrying 224 passengers and seven crew members,” the airline said. “We are investigating this incident and gathering more information in coordination with the airport and other safety authorities.”

Passengers were then evacuated via slides and the emergency crew bused them to the terminal. The airport spokesperson said 12 passengers suffered minor injuries and five were taken to local hospitals.

Denver Airport said the National Transportation Safety Board had been notified and that runway 17L, where the incident took place, will remain closed while an investigation is conducted. It is expected to open later today.

The pedestrian death came a day after a Delta Air Lines employee was killed while on the job at the Orlando International Airport. In a statement, the airline said the employee was killed Thursday night without providing details of the incident nor the name of the employee.

“We are focused on extending our full support to family and taking care of our Orlando team during this difficult time,” the airline said. "We are working with local authorities as a full investigation gets underway to determine what occurred.”

FILE - A Frontier Airlines jetliner taxis down a runway for take off from Denver International airport on Nov. 25, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)