The death toll from the Gul Plaza shopping mall fire in Pakistan's southern port city Karachi has risen to 67, officials said Thursday, after post-mortem examinations of all victims were completed.
The blaze erupted late Saturday night at Gul Plaza, a multi-story shopping mall located on MA Jinnah Road, which houses over 1,200 shops. It was brought under control after more than 24 hours of firefighting on Sunday.
At Civil Hospital Karachi, DNA testing continues as authorities attempt to identify bodies burned beyond recognition.
Summaiya Syed Tariq, chief police surgeon at the Health Department of the Government of Sindh, said that on the fifth day since the incident, a total of 67 remains had been processed. Of these, six were identified through facial recognition, one through ID card or partial facial identification and eight via DNA testing.
"All we have received are remains, and these are bodily remains, bony remains. So, obviously, we have moved towards DNA identification and anthropological identification. By using DNA technique, we have identified eight of the individuals," she said.
Authorities continue to investigate the cause of the fire, which broke out last week and quickly swept through the multi-story complex. Efforts are ongoing to trace any missing person.
Officials said the investigation will review all aspects of the incident, including compliance with fire safety regulations and building management practices.
Death toll from Karachi shopping mall fire rises to 67
