Families waiting outside the shopping centre on MA Jinnah Road said they had lost all contact with their loved ones, while raising serious concerns over the pace of rescue efforts.

One affected family said three women — a wife, daughter-in-law and sister — had gone missing after the fire broke out two days ago.

The head of the family, Qaiser, said there was still no trace of his loved ones.

Visibly distressed, he blamed administrative negligence and said timely rescue efforts could have prevented such heavy losses.

“We are standing here helpless, hoping for a miracle,” he said, as families continued to wait outside the site for news of the missing.

In a separate case, Muhammad Athar, a father of four from Sukkur, also remains missing. He had travelled to Karachi for shopping and was inside Gul Plaza when the fire erupted.

A close relative said Athar last spoke to his sister by phone, telling her that a fire had broken out inside the plaza and visibility was extremely poor.

“He asked us to pray for him. After that, his phone was switched off,” the relative said in a video message.

Athar’s family rushed to Karachi after learning of the incident and has appealed to the authorities to intensify efforts to locate him.

The devastating fire at the Gul Plaza shopping centre has yet to be fully extinguished, even after more than 40 hours.

Officials said the death toll has risen to 23, while several people remain missing as rescue operations continue.