Rescue operations at Karachi’s Gul Plaza continued for a fourth consecutive day on Tuesday, as emergency teams entered the damaged building and intensified efforts to locate missing persons.

Authorities have so far confirmed 27 fatalities in the incident, while 83 people remain missing.

According to Deputy Commissioner Javed Khoso, rescue teams have completed operations on the first floor and are now searching the second and third floors to find people trapped inside the structure.

The deputy commissioner said that around 40 per cent of the building has collapsed, while the remaining structure has become extremely unstable.

Vehicles parked on the rooftop have been safely removed with the help of cranes, he added.

Locations traced to Gul Plaza

“The last known location of 41 missing individuals was traced to Gul Plaza,” he said, noting that roughly 40 per cent of the building has collapsed and the remaining structure has become extremely unstable.

The fire tragedy, now entering its fourth day, has left families of the missing in profound distress.

So far, 27 deaths have been confirmed, while 83 people are still unaccounted for.

Families await updates for brothers, fathers, sons, sisters, mothers, or employees who were at the plaza at the time of the incident.

DNA samples being collected

Police Surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed told the media that DNA samples from 14 bodies have been collected for identification.

Additionally, 48 DNA samples have been obtained from families of the missing people.

One body has already been identified using a national identity card.

Holy Quran remains safe

Remarkably, rescue teams found that copies of the Holy Quran in the first-floor mosque survived the fire impact, along with carpets and other belongings.

Video footage from the scene shows the holy book safely preserved in its racks.

Meanwhile, 32 vehicles, including cars, motorcycles, rickshaws, and loading Suzukis, were safely lowered from the roof and returned to their owners.

Rescue teams continue their painstaking work on the upper floors, navigating the unstable structure to locate survivors.

Slow pace of rescue work

Earlier, the rescue operation slowed down considerably amid challenges and obstacles.

According to authorities, 83 people were still missing in the debris, raising serious concerns among authorities and affected families.

According to sources, rescue work at the front portion of the burnt-out building has been completely suspended, while only a limited number of rescue workers were operating at the rear, working with extremely scarce resources.

Rescue officials stated that the required manpower to clear the massive debris and reach those trapped underneath is not available, which is preventing the operation from progressing effectively.

Heavy machines stay idle

The sources stated that heavy machinery and rescue vehicles have remained idle for the past four hours, worsening the already critical situation.

Eyewitnesses and families of the victims have expressed deep concern over the delays.

They urged the authorities to immediately deploy more manpower and necessary machinery to speed up the rescue efforts.

Meanwhile, the administration said the situation is being closely monitored, and steps are being taken to accelerate the rescue operation.

Authorities confirmed that the fire at Gul Plaza has been brought under control after more than 50 hours, allowing rescue teams to enter the building.

Search and rescue operations for the recovery of bodies were ongoing, they maintained.

Bodies beyond recognition

Officials said efforts were being made to increase the pace of rescue work following the extinguishing of the fire; however, extreme caution was being exercised due to the building’s unstable condition.

According to rescue sources, 27 bodies have so far been recovered from the building, of which 13 have been identified.

Most of the bodies are severely burned and unrecognisable, doctors said, adding that identification will only be possible through DNA testing.

For security and operational reasons, authorities have closed the road behind Gul Plaza to traffic.

Rescue officials have warned that the damaged building could collapse at any time, posing serious risks to rescue workers.

Throughout the night, family members of the missing remained outside the building, desperately waiting for news of their loved ones.