Rescue and search operations at Karachi’s Gul Plaza continued at a slow pace on Wednesday, days after a third-degree fire engulfed the building, with efforts hampered by limited resources, heavy debris and technical challenges, sources said.

Rescue teams are continuing efforts to locate people trapped under the debris. The death toll has risen to 28, while 85 people are still missing.

Rescue officials said two more bodies were recovered from the debris on Tuesday.

Authorities have identified three more victims of the fire, bringing the total number of identified bodies to 11.

The victims have been named as Shehroz, Muhammad Rizwan, and Maryam.

Their families have received the bodies, officials said, adding that 17 bodies remain unidentifiable.

Rescuers focus on the collapsed section

DNA samples for the identification of bodies have been received from 50 families, the officials said.

Speaking to the media outside Gul Plaza, Deputy Commissioner (South) Javed Khoso said that the rescue work is currently focused on the collapsed section of the building, while searches are also being conducted in intact areas.

Heavy debris has been cleared, and a passage is being created to access the middle section of the structure, he added.

Khoso said: “Twenty-eight bodies have been recovered so far, of which 11 have been identified, and 85 people are still listed as missing. Human lives are our priority, and until every missing person is accounted for, we cannot remove the debris completely.”

Entire building to be demolished

He added that cooling operations are ongoing and searches have been conducted wherever safely possible.

“We are not trying to rush things up. Once all missing persons are accounted for, the entire building will be demolished if necessary,” he added.

Khoso said families of the missing people are being facilitated, and an information desk has been set up to assist them.

Referring to DNA testing, he said every effort is being made to identify the recovered bodies as quickly as possible.

Seven bodies have been handed over to families so far, while 21 unidentified bodies are being kept at the Edhi mortuary.

Authorities said rescue teams have entered parts of the building and are conducting searches wherever access is possible.

Cooling process completed

However, sections that were damaged by the collapse of the structure remain inaccessible.

Fire Officer Zafar Khan told the media that the cooling process had been completed and smoke had dissipated.

He said all open and safe areas had been searched, and no additional bodies or survivors were found there.

Zafar Khan said search operations in the section adjacent to Rimpa Plaza would be carried out in stages, as working there at night is too dangerous.

He added that there was no hot water in the basement or other sections, reducing the risk of the fire reigniting.

Slow pace of work decried

Speaking to Aaj News, Chief Fire Officer Humayun Khan said the fire brigade was fully prepared to deal with emergencies and stressed that fire safety training should be made part of the education curriculum.

He said buildings must be equipped with effective firefighting systems and that the fire brigade responds immediately once alerted.

Meanwhile, social worker and JDC Foundation chief Zafar Abbas expressed serious concern over the pace of the rescue operation.

He said that even after 85 hours, efforts to locate missing persons remained unsatisfactory.

He questioned why people were unable to reach the rooftop if the building had multiple exits.

Abbas demanded that a separate first information report (FIR) be registered for each death and that a clear system be established for the recovery and identification of bodies.

Families wait for missing persons

Meanwhile, families of the missing continue to grieve. The father of a missing young man said that no one in the household had eaten for three days.

He said family members break into tears whenever they see his son’s jacket, glass or slippers, and appealed to authorities to make every possible effort to find him.

An Aaj News team visited the basement of Gul Plaza, where scenes of complete destruction were visible. All shops in the basement were reduced to ashes.

Officials said another fire broke out there at 2.15pm on Monday, rapidly gutting the basement.

Karachi mayor monitors rescue work

Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab also visited the site and later returned late at night to review the rescue operation, where he was briefed on the situation.

The mayor said around 70 per cent of the rescue operation had been completed and that the first and second floors had been cleared.

He said the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) and other agencies would jointly install a system to support the structure after technical faults were identified in the building.

Wahab stressed that all buildings in the city must be equipped with fire safety systems to prevent such tragedies.

Bid to steal cash foiled

Separately, police said they detained a suspected labourer accused of attempting to steal goods and cash recovered from the debris.

According to police, the suspect had been taken into custody, where he was being investigated.

The business community has expressed solidarity with the victims and pledged continued support.

The Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry announced financial assistance of Rs100 million.

Traders said safety arrangements in many markets were inadequate and required urgent attention.