The death toll from the deadly Gul Plaza fire on MA Jinnah Road has risen beyond 50 after more than 20 bodies were recovered from a single shop on the mezzanine floor, officials said on Wednesday.

Deputy Inspector General (DIG) South Asad Raza said human remains were found inside a crockery shop on the mezzanine level of the fire-hit plaza. Rescue officials have confirmed the recovery of the remains, though it is not yet clear whether the bodies were intact.

Authorities said efforts to retrieve bodies from the affected shop are still underway. The recovered remains will be shifted to Civil Hospital Karachi for completion of legal formalities.

According to the DIG South, between 20 and 30 sets of human remains were recovered from the mezzanine shop, pushing the overall death toll to over 50. Officials added that debris removal at Gul Plaza has been temporarily halted.

At least 86 people were reported missing after the blaze.

Earlier, rescue officials said victims who remained trapped in the fire for three to four days were severely burned, with many bodies reduced to ashes. During search operations, teams continue to find small fragments of human remains, while complete bodies are rarely recovered.

Rescue teams are working cautiously inside the damaged structure to retrieve all possible remains.

Officials also confirmed that three more victims have been identified, taking the total number of identified bodies to 11. The newly identified victims were named as Shahroz, Muhammad Rizwan and Maryam. Their bodies were handed over to families after legal procedures.

Rescue and police officials said 17 bodies remain unidentifiable and have been placed at the Edhi mortuary. Previously identified victims include Kashif, Misbah, Aamir, Faraz, Farooq, Furqan, Muhammad Ali and Tanveer. DNA testing is ongoing to establish the identities of the remaining victims.

Authorities said DNA samples from 50 families have so far been collected to facilitate identification. Further progress is expected once DNA reports are received.

Officials confirmed that rescue teams have entered accessible parts of the building and are continuing the search wherever possible. However, sections crushed by the collapse remain inaccessible.

Fire Officer Zafar Khan told the media that the cooling process has been completed and smoke has dissipated. He said all open and safe areas have been searched. The buried section adjacent to Rampa Plaza will be searched in phases during daylight, as nighttime operations are considered hazardous.

He added that no hot water remains in the basement or other areas, reducing the risk of the fire reigniting.

Chief Fire Officer Humayun Khan, speaking to Aaj News, said the fire brigade remains fully prepared to respond to emergencies. He stressed that fire safety training should be included in educational curricula and underlined the need for effective firefighting systems in buildings to prevent such tragedies.