Pakistani firefighters began pulling bodies from the smoldering remains of a sprawling Karachi shopping mall on Monday where more than 60 people were still missing after a massive fire that killed at least 21.

Karachi, the capital of Sindh province, has a history of deadly fires, often blamed on poor safety standards and illegal construction. In November 2023, a fire at a shopping mall in the city killed 10 people and injured 22 others. A massive fire at a garment factory in Karachi in 2012 killed 260 people.

KARACHI, Pakistan — The search for dozens of people reported missing after a massive fire at a shopping plaza in Pakistan’s largest city entered a fourth day Tuesday as hopes of finding survivors faded, officials said.

KARACHI: Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan leader Mustafa Kamal on Thursday called on the federal government to declare Karachi the country’s financial capital and place it under federal oversight, citing constitutional provisions and referring to administrative shortcomings highlighted by the recent Gul Plaza fire.

Karachi’s deadliest fire in years raises urgent questions about building safety, rescue capacity and urban governance.

NIC Karachi opens applications for Cohort 15, offering grants up to PKR 5 million, mentorship, cloud credits, and investor access to startups across Pakistan.

The blaze, which killed at least 23 and left dozens more missing during “wedding season,” burned all night and day through a Karachi plaza with hundreds of shops.